Mahabharata — Svargarohana Parva, Shloka 35

Svargārohaṇa-parva Adhyāya 5 — Karmaphala-Nirdeśa and Phalāśruti (कर्मफलनिर्देशः फलश्रुतिश्च)

Devanagari script

एतत्‌ ते सर्वमाख्यातं वैशम्पायनकीर्तितम्‌ । व्यासाज्ञया समज्ञातं सर्पसत्रे नूपस्य हि

Transliteration

etat te sarvam ākhyātaṃ vaiśampāyana-kīrtitam | vyāsājñayā samajñātaṃ sarpasatre nṛpasya hi ||

Translation

Sinabi ni Vaiśampāyana: “Ang lahat ng ito ay naisalaysay ko na sa inyo nang ganap—ang salaysay na ipinahayag ni Vaiśampāyana, na naunawaan sa utos ni Vyāsa sa paghahandog na ukol sa mga ahas ng hari. Ang buong tradisyong iyon ng Itihāsa, gaya ng napakinggan at naipamana, ay isinalaysay ko ngayon sa inyong harapan.”

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'एतत् (etat)', 'definition': 'this

• this whole matter'}, {'term': 'ते (te)', 'definition': 'to you'}, {'term': 'सर्वम् (sarvam)', 'definition': 'all

• the entirety'}, {'term': 'आख्यातम् (ākhyātam)', 'definition': 'told, narrated, related'}, {'term': 'वैशम्पायनकीर्तितम् (vaiśampāyana-kīrtitam)', 'definition': 'proclaimed/recited by Vaiśampāyana'}, {'term': 'व्यासाज्ञया (vyāsājñayā)', 'definition': 'by Vyāsa’s command/instruction'}, {'term': 'समज्ञातम् (samajñātam)', 'definition': 'fully understood/learned

• properly comprehended'}, {'term': 'सर्पसत्रे (sarpasatre)', 'definition': 'at the serpent-sacrifice (snake-session), i.e., the Sarpa-satra'}, {'term': 'नृपस्य (nṛpasya)', 'definition': 'of the king'}, {'term': 'हि (hi)', 'definition': 'indeed

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Vyāsa
• Sarpa-satra (serpent-sacrifice)
• the king (nṛpa; contextually Janamejaya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes faithful transmission of sacred history: the Mahābhārata is presented as an authorized tradition, learned under Vyāsa’s instruction and recited in a formal setting, underscoring responsibility and integrity in preserving knowledge.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator signals closure of the recitation: Vaiśampāyana states that he has fully told the Itihāsa as he learned it under Vyāsa’s command at the king’s Sarpa-satra, marking the completion of the narrated account.