Shloka 18

Raibhya-putrayoḥ satra-vṛttāntaḥ — The Satra Episode of Raibhya’s Sons

Parāvasu and Arvāvasu

Devanagari script

उग्र॑ं तप: समास्थाय दिवाकरमथाश्रित: । रहस्यवेदं कृतवान्‌ सूर्यस्य द्विजसत्तम:

Transliteration

ugraṁ tapaḥ samāsthāya divākaram athāśritaḥ | rahasyavedaṁ kṛtavān sūryasya dvijasattamaḥ ||

Translation

Ang pinakadakila sa mga “dalawang-beses na isinilang” ay nagsagawa ng mabagsik na pag-aayuno at pagdurusa, at kumupkop sa Araw (Divākara). Sa pamamagitan ng disiplinadong tapas at debosyon, natamo niya ang lihim na kaalaman ng Sūrya—isang esoterikong aral ng Veda.

Word by Word

उग्रम्fierce, intense

तपःausterity, penance

समास्थायhaving undertaken / having resorted to

दिवाकरम्the Sun (day-maker)

अथthen, and then

आश्रितःhaving taken refuge in / having resorted to

रहस्यवेदम्the secret Veda/knowledge (a secret lore)

कृतवान्did, performed, composed

सूर्यस्यof the Sun

द्विजसत्तमःthe best of the twice-born (excellent Brahmin)

Speaker

लोगश उवाच

Characters & Entities

Divākara (Sūrya)

dvijasattamaḥ (an unnamed foremost Brahmin/sage)

rahasyaveda (secret Vedic knowledge)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Intense self-discipline (tapas) combined with taking refuge in a worthy divine source (here, Sūrya) is presented as a means to gain higher, guarded knowledge; spiritual attainments are shown as fruits of sustained austerity and proper orientation of devotion.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker states that a foremost Brahmin-sage performed severe austerities, sought the Sun as his refuge, and thereby acquired the Sun’s ‘rahasya-veda’—a secret or esoteric Vedic teaching—indicating a transmission of special knowledge earned through tapas.