Shloka 21

आरण्यकपर्वणि अध्यायः २१६ — इन्द्र-स्कन्द-संमुखता वज्रप्रहारश्च

Indra approaches Skanda; vajra strike and the arising of Viśākha

Devanagari script

व्याध उवाच अनतिक्रमणीया वै ब्राह्मुणा मे द्विजोत्तम | शृणु सर्वमिदं वृत्तं पूर्वदेहे ममानघ

Transliteration

vyādha uvāca | anatikramaṇīyā vai brāhmaṇā me dvijottama | śṛṇu sarvam idaṁ vṛttaṁ pūrvadehe mamānagha ||

Translation

شکاری نے کہا—اے بہترینِ دوجنمہ! میرے لیے برہمنوں کی حد سے تجاوز کرنا ہرگز روا نہیں۔ اے بےگناہ! سنو—میں اپنے پچھلے جسم میں جو کچھ میرے ہاتھوں واقع ہوا، اس کا پورا حال بیان کرتا ہوں۔

Word by Word

• {'vyādhaḥ': 'a hunter

• here, the Dharma-vyādha (the righteous hunter)', 'uvāca': 'said', 'anatikramaṇīyāḥ': 'not to be overstepped

• not to be violated/transgressed', 'vai': 'indeed

• emphatic particle', 'brāhmaṇāḥ': 'brāhmaṇas

• members of the priestly/learned class', 'me': 'by me

• for me', 'dvijottama': 'best of the twice-born (honorific for a brāhmaṇa)', 'śṛṇu': 'listen', 'sarvam': 'all

• entirely', 'idam': 'this', 'vṛttam': 'what happened

• the account/occurrence', 'pūrvadehe': 'in a former body

• in a previous life', 'mama': 'of me

• my', 'anagha': 'sinless one

Speaker

व्याध उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyādha (Dharma-vyādha)
• Brāhmaṇa
• Dvijottama (addressed brāhmaṇa)
• Anagha (addressed brāhmaṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should not violate or disrespect brāhmaṇas; ethical restraint and reverence for dharma are emphasized, along with the idea that one’s present understanding is shaped by past-life actions and experiences.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Dharma-vyādha addresses a brāhmaṇa respectfully and begins a retrospective account, stating that he will narrate an incident from his former life to explain his present conduct and insight into dharma.