Shloka 4

Ādi Parva, Adhyāya 47 — Janamejaya’s Sarpa-satra: Vow, Preparation, and the Onset of the Serpent Offering

Devanagari script

सौतिर्वाच प्रतिश्रुते तु नागेन भरिष्ये भगिनीमिति । जरत्कारुस्तदा वेश्म भुजगस्य जगाम ह,उग्रश्रवाजी कहते हैं--नागराजने यह शर्त स्वीकार कर ली कि “मैं अपनी बहिनका भरण-पोषण करूँगा।” तब जरत्कारु मुनि वासुकिके भवनमें गये

Transliteration

Sautir uvāca—pratiśrute tu nāgena bhariṣye bhaginīm iti | Jaratkārus tadā veśma bhujagasya jagāma ha ||

Translation

సౌతి పలికెను—నాగరాజు “నేను నా సోదరిని పోషిస్తాను” అని ప్రతిజ్ఞ చేసిన తరువాత, ముని జరత్కారు ఆ భుజంగుని నివాసానికి వెళ్లెను.

Word by Word

सौतिःSauti (Ugraśravas), the narrator

उवाचsaid

प्रतिश्रुतेwhen (it was) promised/assented to

तुbut/then

नागेनby the serpent (king)

भरिष्येI shall support/maintain

भगिनीम्the sister

इतिthus (quotative)

जरत्कारुःJaratkāru (the sage)

तदाthen

वेश्मthe house/dwelling

भुजगस्यof the serpent

जगामwent

हindeed (emphatic particle)

Speaker

तक्षक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sauti (Ugraśravas)

Jaratkāru

Nāga (serpent)

Vāsuki (implied by context: the serpent’s dwelling/household)

Bhaginī (the sister to be maintained)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma as fidelity to one’s word: a pledged commitment—especially concerning care of dependents—must be honored, and social arrangements like marriage proceed properly only when responsibilities are clearly accepted.

What is happening in the narrative?

After the Nāga agrees to Jaratkāru’s condition that his sister will be supported, Jaratkāru goes to the serpent’s residence (Vāsuki’s household), moving the marriage negotiations forward.