Shloka 25

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

Devanagari script

आस्तीक: किल यज्ञं तं॑ वर्तन्तं भुजगोत्तमे । प्रतिषेत्स्यति मां पूर्व स्वयमाह पितामह:,'श्रेष्ठ नागकन्ये! पूर्वकालमें साक्षात्‌ ब्रह्माजीने मुझसे कहा था--“आस्तीक उस यज्ञको बंद कर देगा”

Transliteration

Āstīkaḥ kila yajñaṃ taṃ vartantaṃ bhujagottame | pratiṣetsyati māṃ pūrvaṃ svayam āha pitāmahaḥ ||

Translation

శౌనకుడు అన్నాడు—“ఓ శ్రేష్ఠ నాగకన్యా! ఈ యజ్ఞం జరుగుతున్నప్పుడే ఆస్తీకుడు నిశ్చయంగా దీనిని ఆపుతాడు. పూర్వమే స్వయంగా పితామహుడు (బ్రహ్మ) నాకు చెప్పాడు—‘ఆస్తీకుడు ఈ క్రతువును ముగింపజేస్తాడు’ అని.”

Word by Word

• आस्तीकः: Āstīka (proper name)
• आस्तीकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आस्तीक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• किल: indeed, it is said
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किल

• यज्ञम्: sacrifice, ritual
• यज्ञम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तम्: that
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• वर्तन्तम्: going on, proceeding
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• भुजगोत्तमे: in/among the best of serpents (O best serpent)
• भुजगोत्तमे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुजगोत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• प्रतिषेत्स्यति: will stop, will prevent
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रतिषिध्
• Form: Simple Future (लृट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• पूर्वम्: formerly, earlier
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्व

• स्वयम्: himself
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम्

• आह: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पितामहः: the Grandsire (Brahmā)
• पितामहः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

शौनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• शौनक (Śaunaka)
• आस्तीक (Āstīka)
• पितामह / ब्रह्मा (Pitāmaha/Brahmā)
• यज्ञ (the sacrifice; contextually Janamejaya’s Sarpa-satra)
• नागकन्या / भुजगोत्तमा (serpent-maiden addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when a ritual is powerful and publicly sanctioned, dharma requires restraint when it becomes destructive. The verse frames Āstīka as the ethical counterforce who halts a mass-killing rite, showing that compassion and protection of life can supersede vengeance-driven ritual action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śaunaka addresses a serpent-maiden and recalls a prior divine assurance: Brahmā had foretold that Āstīka would stop the ongoing sacrifice. This points forward to Āstīka’s intervention in the snake-sacrifice, preventing the annihilation of the Nāgas.