Shloka 1

Deva–Asura–Gandharva–Nāga Vaṃśa-kathana

Genealogies and Partial Descents

Devanagari script

ऑपन--माज छा जज ::अ (अंशावतरणपर्व) एकोनषष्टितमो< ध्याय: महाभारतका उपक्रम शौनक उवाच भगुवंशात्‌ प्रभृत्येव त्वया मे कीर्तितं महत्‌ । आख्यानमखिलं तात सौते प्रीतो5स्मि तेन ते,शौनकजी बोले--तात सूतनन्दन! आपने भृगुवंशसे ही प्रारम्भ करके जो मुझे यह सब महान्‌ उपाख्यान सुनाया है, इससे मैं आपपर बहुत प्रसन्न हूँ

Transliteration

Śaunaka uvāca: Bhṛguvaṁśāt prabhṛtyeva tvayā me kīrtitaṁ mahat | ākhyānam akhilaṁ tāta saute prīto ’smi tena te ||

Translation

శౌనకుడు పలికెను—ఓ సూతనందనా! భృగువంశం నుండే ఆరంభించి నీవు నాకు ఈ సమస్త మహత్తరాఖ్యానాన్ని వివరించితివి; అందువల్ల నేను నీపై అత్యంత ప్రసన్నుడనై ఉన్నాను.

Word by Word

• {'śaunaka uvāca': 'Śaunaka said', 'bhṛgu-vaṁśāt': 'from the lineage of Bhṛgu (the Bhṛgu clan)', 'prabhṛti': 'beginning, starting point', 'eva': 'indeed, precisely', 'tvayā': 'by you', 'me': 'to me', 'kīrtitam': 'recounted, narrated', 'mahat': 'great, lofty', 'ākhyānam': 'narrative, account, story', 'akhilam': 'entire, complete', 'tāta': 'dear one

• a respectful affectionate address', 'saute': 'O son of the Sūta (addressing Ugraśravas/Sauti)', 'prītaḥ asmi': 'I am pleased/satisfied', 'tena te': 'therefore because of that, with regard to you'}

Speaker

शौनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• शौनक (Śaunaka)
• सौति / सूतनन्दन (Sauti, son of the Sūta; Ugraśravas)
• भृगुवंश (Bhṛgu lineage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical value of faithful transmission of sacred history: a listener honors a narrator who presents a complete account with proper beginnings, showing gratitude and respect for the tradition of storytelling.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the framing dialogue, Śaunaka addresses Sauti and expresses satisfaction that Sauti has narrated the great story in full, beginning from the Bhṛgu lineage, acknowledging the narrator’s method and completeness.