Shloka 39

Saptasārasvata-tīrtha-prasaṅgaḥ | The Saptasārasvata Pilgrimage Account and the Maṅkaṇaka Narrative

Devanagari script

जनमेजय उवाच कस्मात्‌ सरस्वती ब्रद्यान्‌ निवृत्ता प्राडमुखी भवत्‌ । व्याख्यातमेतदिच्छामि सर्वमध्वर्युसत्तम

Transliteration

janamejaya uvāca kasmāt sarasvatī bradyān nivṛttā prāḍmukhī bhavat | vyākhyātam etad icchāmi sarvam adhvaryusattama ||

Translation

జనమేజయుడు పలికెను—బ్రాహ్మణా! వేగంగా ప్రవహిస్తున్న సరస్వతి ఏ కారణముచేత తూర్పుముఖంగా తిరిగి మళ్లీ మలుపు తిరిగింది? యజ్ఞకర్మలో శ్రేష్ఠుడవైన అధ్వర్యూ! ఈ విషయమంతా నాకు వివరించుము.

Word by Word

• जनमेजयः: Janamejaya
• जनमेजयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनमेजय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कस्मात्: from what cause? why?
• कस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• सरस्वती: Sarasvatī (river/goddess)
• सरस्वती: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्वती
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्रद्यात्: would/should flow (go)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रद्
• Form: Optative, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• निवृत्ता: having turned back, having ceased/returned
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नि-√वृत्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• प्राक्: eastward; towards the east
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्राक्

• मुखी: facing (having the face) toward
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुखिन्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अभवत्: became, was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• व्याख्यातम्: explained, expounded
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-आ-√ख्या
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इच्छामि: I wish/desire
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Present, 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सर्वम्: all, the whole (matter)
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अध्वर्यु-सत्तम: O best of Adhvaryu priests
• अध्वर्यु-सत्तम: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्वर्यु + सत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

जनमेजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janamejaya
• Sarasvatī
• Adhvaryu (best of priests)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse models dharmic inquiry: a ruler seeks a complete, reasoned explanation from a qualified ritual authority, emphasizing that sacred phenomena and traditions should be understood through careful questioning and authoritative exposition.

What is happening in the narrative?

King Janamejaya asks the chief priest-narrator to explain why the sacred river Sarasvatī, described as flowing swiftly, reversed course and became east-facing, requesting the full account behind this unusual event.