Shloka 15

Ajagara-vrata (The ‘Python’ Discipline): Prahrāda Questions a Wandering Sage

Devanagari script

विश्वलेदेवा: सपितर: साग्नयश्नोपकल्पिता: । विलिप्ता: पुष्पवन्तश्न सुप्रचारा: सुपूजिता: । व्यराजन्त महाराज नक्षत्रपतयो यथा

Transliteration

viśve devāḥ sa-pitaraḥ sāgnayaś copakalpitāḥ | viliptāḥ puṣpavantaś ca supracārāḥ supūjitāḥ | vyarājanta mahārāja nakṣatrapatayo yathā ||

Translation

Bhishma nói: “Tâu Đại vương, các vị Bà-la-môn ấy được phụng sự đúng phép như những hiện thân của Viśvedevas, của các Pitṛ (tổ tiên), và của thần Agni. Họ được xức đàn hương, đeo vòng hoa, và được cúng bái bằng nghi lễ trang nghiêm. Ngồi trên những chỗ ngồi đã định, họ rực rỡ huy hoàng—tựa như Chúa tể của tinh tú, vầng Trăng giữa trời đêm.”

Word by Word

• विश्वे: the Viśvedevas
• विश्वे: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वेदेव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स

• पितरः: the ancestors (Pitṛs)
• पितरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स

• अग्नयः: fires / Agni-deities
• अग्नयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• उपकल्पिताः: prepared / arranged
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-कल्प (कृदन्त: उपकल्पित)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विलिप्ताः: smeared / anointed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-लिप् (कृदन्त: विलिप्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पुष्पवन्तः: having flowers / flower-adorned
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुष्पवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सुप्रचाराः: well-conducted / proceeding well
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-प्रचार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सुपूजिताः: well-honoured / duly worshipped
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सु-पूज् (कृदन्त: सुपूजित)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• व्यराजन्त: they shone / appeared splendid
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-राज्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Plural

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-राज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• नक्षत्रपतयः: lords of the stars (i.e., the Moon[s])
• नक्षत्रपतयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नक्षत्र-पति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यथा: as / like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Mahārāja (the king, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira as listener in Śānti Parva)
• Viśvedevas
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Agni
• Brāhmaṇas
• candana (sandal paste)
• puṣpa-mālā (flower garlands)
• āsana (seats)
• Moon (implied by nakṣatrapati)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores dharma through proper honoring of Brāhmaṇas and ritual guests, seeing them as worthy representatives of divine and ancestral principles (Viśvedevas, Pitṛs, Agni). Ethical kingship is shown in reverent service—cleanliness, adornment, and correct procedure—rather than mere display.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes a scene where Brāhmaṇas are ceremonially received: they are anointed with sandal paste, given flower garlands, worshipped according to proper rites, and seated on prepared seats. Their dignified presence is compared to the Moon shining among the stars.