Shloka 12

Āstīka Stops the Sarpa-satra; Royal Closure and Protective Phalaśruti (आस्तीकः सर्पसत्रनिवर्तनम्)

Devanagari script

वसामेदोवहा: कुल्या नागानां सम्प्रवर्तिता: । ववौ गन्धश्च तुमुलो दह्तामनिशं तदा,नागोंकी चर्बी और मेदसे भरे हुए कितने ही नाले बह चले। निरन्तर जलनेवाले सर्पोंकी तीखी दुर्गन्ध चारों ओर फैल रही थी

Transliteration

śaunaka uvāca |

vasāmedovahāḥ kulyā nāgānāṃ sampravartitāḥ |

vavau gandhaś ca tumulo dahyatām aniśaṃ tadā ||

Translation

నాగుల కొవ్వు, మేదస్సుతో నిండిన కాలువలు ప్రవహించసాగాయి; నిరంతరం దగ్ధమవుతున్న సర్పాల ఘాటైన దుర్గంధం ఆ వేళ అంతటా వ్యాపించింది.

Word by Word

वसा-मेदो-वहाःchannels/canals carrying fat and marrow

कुल्याःchannels, trenches

नागानाम्of the serpents

सम्प्रवर्तिताःset in motion, started flowing

ववौblew, wafted

गन्धःsmell, stench

चand

तुमुलःviolent, intense

दह्यमानानाम्of those being burnt

निशम्constantly, without pause

तदाthen

Speaker

शौनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śaunaka

Nāgas (serpents)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical tension between ritual authority and compassion: when a rite becomes driven by vengeance and causes indiscriminate suffering, its outward sanctity is morally compromised, reminding the listener to weigh intention and consequence in dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the snake-sacrifice context, the serpents are being burned continuously; their fat and marrow are imagined as flowing in channels, while an intense stench spreads—an emphatic depiction of the scale and horror of the destruction.