Shloka 16

Adhyaya 4 — Jaimini Meets the Dharmapakshis: Four Doubts on the Mahabharata and the Opening of Narayana Doctrine

Sanskrit

अथोचुः खगमाः सर्वे व्यासशिष्यं तफोनिधिम् ।

सुखोपविष्टं विश्रान्तं पक्षानिलहतक्लमम् ॥

Transliteration

athocuḥ khagamāḥ sarve vyāsaśiṣyaṃ taponidhim | sukhopaviṣṭaṃ viśrāntaṃ pakṣānilahataklamam ||

Translation

แล้วบรรดานกทั้งหลายได้กล่าวกับศิษย์ของวยาสะ ผู้เป็นขุมทรัพย์แห่งตบะ—ผู้ประทับนั่งอย่างสบาย ได้พักผ่อนแล้ว และความอ่อนล้าถูกบรรเทาด้วยลมจากปีกของพวกมัน

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भ/अनन्तर (then/now)

• ūcuḥ: they said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• khagamāḥ: birds
• khagamāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khagama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• sarve: all
• sarve: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; adjective agreeing with खगमाः

• vyāsa-śiṣyam: Vyāsa’s disciple
• vyāsa-śiṣyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + śiṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Vyāsa’s disciple); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; Accusative singular

• tapaḥ-nidhim: treasure of austerity
• tapaḥ-nidhim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक) + nidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (treasure of austerity); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; Accusative singular

• sukha-upaviṣṭam: seated comfortably
• sukha-upaviṣṭam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक) + upaviṣṭa (√viś/√sad?; उप-आ-√viś/√sad, क्त)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (‘सुखेन’ = comfortably); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) used adjectivally; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; agreeing with व्यासशिष्यम्

• viśrāntam: rested
• viśrāntam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√śram (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) used adjectivally; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन

• pakṣa-anila-hata-klamam: with fatigue dispelled by the wind of (their) wings
• pakṣa-anila-hata-klamam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + anila (प्रातिपदिक) + hata (√han, क्त) + klama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (instrumental sense: ‘pakṣānila’ = wing-wind; ‘hata’ = struck/removed; qualifying ‘klama’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; used adjectivally = ‘whose fatigue is removed by the wind of wings’

Speakers

• The Birds (Dharmapakṣis) addressing Vyāsa’s disciple (often identified in this frame as Jaimini in the broader dialogue-context)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Frame narrative
• Dharma instruction prelude
• Respect to ascetics (tapas)
• Dialogue as teaching method

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse emphasizes reverence toward realized teachers (tapasvins) and establishes a dharmic pedagogy: instruction begins with humility, service, and creating a calm, receptive setting (the birds literally ease the sage’s fatigue before speaking).

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Primarily an ākhyāna/frame-dialogue connective passage rather than a direct pañcalakṣaṇa unit. It functions as narrative scaffolding that introduces/continues dharma-upadeśa (often adjacent to manvantara and vaṃśa materials elsewhere).

What is the esoteric significance?

Birds—symbols of higher vision and ‘sky-ranging’ awareness—cool the heat of tapas with their wing-breeze, suggesting the harmonizing of intense ascetic power (tapas) with compassionate, sattvic communication (dharma taught without harshness).