Shloka 22

ययातिः शर्मिष्ठायाः ऋतुप्रार्थनां धर्मसंवादं च शृणोति

Yayāti and Śarmiṣṭhā: request in ṛtu and discourse on truth and dharma

Devanagari script

तमागतमभिप्रेक्ष्य देवा इन्द्रपुरोगमा: । बृहस्पतिं सभाज्येदं कचं वचनमन्रुवन्‌,उन्हें आया देख इन्द्रादि देवता बृहस्पतिजीकी सेवामें उपस्थित हो कचसे यह वचन बोले

Transliteration

tam āgatam abhiprekṣya devā indrapurogamāḥ | bṛhaspatiṁ sabhājyedaṁ kacaṁ vacanam abruvan ||

Translation

అతడు వచ్చినట్లు చూసి, ఇంద్రుని నాయకత్వంలో దేవతలు ముందుగా బృహస్పతిని యథోచితంగా సత్కరించి, ఆపై కచునితో ఈ మాటలు పలికారు।

Word by Word

तम्him

आगतम्arrived, having come

अभिप्रेक्ष्यhaving seen

देवाःthe gods

इन्द्रपुरोगमाःwith Indra at their head

बृहस्पतिम्Bṛhaspati

सभाज्यhaving honored, having paid respects to

इदम्this

कचम्Kaca

वचनम्speech, words

अन्रुवन्they said, they spoke

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kaca

Indra

Devas

Bṛhaspati

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dhārmic conduct in speech and action: one should honor the guru/elder (here Bṛhaspati) and acknowledge rightful authority before making requests or delivering important words. Respect for the teacher is presented as a prerequisite for proper counsel and ethical decision-making.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kaca arrives before the gods. Indra and the other devas, upon seeing him, first pay respects to their preceptor Bṛhaspati and then begin speaking to Kaca, setting up the next exchange in the Kaca episode.