Shloka 11

Adhyāya 60: Devagaṇa–Ṛṣi–Prajāpatīnāṃ Sambhavaḥ

Origins of Divine Classes, Sages, and Progenitors

Devanagari script

काउ्चनं विष्टरं तस्मै सदस्यानुमत:ः प्रभु: । आसन कल्पयामास यथा शक्रो बृहस्पते:,जैसे इन्द्र बृहस्पतिजीको आसन देते हैं, उसी प्रकार राजाने सदस्योंकी अनुमति लेकर व्यासजीके लिये सुवर्णका विष्टर दे आसनकी व्यवस्था की

Transliteration

Śaunaka uvāca: kāñcanaṁ viṣṭaraṁ tasmai sadasyānumataḥ prabhuḥ | āsanaṁ kalpayāmāsa yathā śakro bṛhaspateḥ ||

Translation

Wika ni Śaunaka: Sa pagsang-ayon ng matatandang nakaupo sa kapulungan, inihanda ng panginoon ang isang upuang ginto para sa kaniya—gaya ng paglalaan ni Indra, hari ng mga diyos, ng upuan para kay Bṛhaspati.

Word by Word

• {'Śaunaka uvāca': 'Śaunaka said', 'kāñcanam': 'golden

• made of gold', 'viṣṭaram': 'seat, couch, spread-out sitting place (a ceremonial seat)', 'tasmai': 'for him', 'sadasya-anumataḥ': 'with the approval/consent of the members of the assembly', 'prabhuḥ': 'the lord

• the powerful one (here, the host/king)', 'āsanam': 'seat

• place to sit', 'kalpayāmāsa': 'arranged

• caused to be prepared', 'yathā': 'just as', 'śakraḥ': 'Śakra (Indra)', 'bṛhaspateḥ': 'for Bṛhaspati (the preceptor of the gods)'}

Speaker

शौनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• शौनक (Śaunaka)
• शक्र/इन्द्र (Śakra/Indra)
• बृहस्पति (Bṛhaspati)
• काञ्चन विष्टर (golden seat)
• सभा/सदस्य (assembly and its members)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma expressed as reverence toward learned and spiritually eminent persons: a worthy guest or teacher should be honored publicly, and the community’s assent (sadasyānumati) reinforces that such honor is not mere personal preference but a shared ethical norm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śaunaka describes a formal act of reception: the host/king, after obtaining the assembly’s approval, has a golden ceremonial seat prepared for the honored person, likening the gesture to Indra seating his guru Bṛhaspati.