Shloka 3

Aṃśāvataraṇa-kathana (Catalog of Divine/Asuric Portions in Human Births) — Chapter 61

Devanagari script

श्रीतुं पात्र च राजंस्त्वं प्राप्पेमां भारतीं कथाम्‌ । गुरोर्वक्त्रपरिस्पन्दो मन: प्रोत्साहतीव मे,जनमेजय! तुम इस महाभारतकी कथाको सुननेके लिये उत्तम पात्र हो और मुझे यह कथा उपलब्ध है तथा श्रीगुरुजीके मुखारविन्दसे मुझे यह आदेश मिल गया है कि मैं तुम्हें कथा सुनाऊँ, इससे मेरे मनको बड़ा उत्साह प्राप्त होता है

Transliteration

śrotuṁ pātra ca rājaṁs tvaṁ prāpto ’māṁ bhāratīṁ kathām | guror vaktra-parispando manaḥ protsāhatīva me, janamejaya ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana thưa: “Muôn tâu vua Janamejaya, bệ hạ là người xứng đáng để nghe thiên truyện Bhārata này; và nay ta đã có dịp để thuật lại. Chính lời thúc giục phát ra từ miệng bậc thầy của ta khiến lòng ta bừng dậy nhiệt thành, càng thêm hăng hái kể lại cho bệ hạ.”

Word by Word

• {'śrotum': 'to hear, to listen (infinitive of √śru)', 'pātra': 'a fit person

• qualified listener', 'rājan': 'O king (vocative)', 'tvam': 'you', 'prāptaḥ': 'having obtained

• having received the opportunity', 'imām': 'this (feminine accusative singular)', 'bhāratīm kathām': 'the Bhārata story

• the Mahābhārata narrative', 'guroḥ': 'of the teacher/guru', 'vaktra': 'mouth

• face', 'parispandaḥ': 'impulse, prompting, stirring

• (here) the teacher’s uttered injunction/encouragement', 'manaḥ': 'mind', 'protsāhati iva': 'as if it greatly encourages/energizes', 'me': 'my', 'janamejaya': 'O Janamejaya (vocative)'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Janamejaya
• Guru (teacher of Vaiśampāyana)
• Bhārata-kathā (Mahābhārata narrative)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes the ethics of transmission: sacred history should be taught to a qualified listener (pātra), and narration gains legitimacy and force when it proceeds under the guru’s sanction. It highlights attentive listening and responsible teaching as part of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses King Janamejaya, affirming that the king is a fit hearer of the Mahābhārata story. He says he has the opportunity to tell it and feels inspired because his teacher has prompted/commanded him to narrate.