Shloka 16

Adhyaya 4 — Jaimini Meets the Dharmapakshis: Four Doubts on the Mahabharata and the Opening of Narayana Doctrine

Sanskrit

अथोचुः खगमाः सर्वे व्यासशिष्यं तफोनिधिम् ।

सुखोपविष्टं विश्रान्तं पक्षानिलहतक्लमम् ॥

Transliteration

athocuḥ khagamāḥ sarve vyāsaśiṣyaṃ taponidhim | sukhopaviṣṭaṃ viśrāntaṃ pakṣānilahataklamam ||

Translation

Rồi tất cả loài chim ngỏ lời với đệ tử của Vyāsa, kho tàng của khổ hạnh—ngài ngồi an nhiên, đã nghỉ ngơi, và sự mệt nhọc được xua tan bởi làn gió từ đôi cánh của chúng.

Word by Word

• atha: then
• atha: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/क्रम)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: atha (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; आरम्भ/अनन्तर (then/now)

• ūcuḥ: they said
• ūcuḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect); प्रथमपुरुष; बहुवचन; परस्मैपद

• khagamāḥ: birds
• khagamāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: khagama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; Nominative plural

• sarve: all
• sarve: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sarva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा बहुवचन; adjective agreeing with खगमाः

• vyāsa-śiṣyam: Vyāsa’s disciple
• vyāsa-śiṣyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vyāsa (प्रातिपदिक) + śiṣya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (Vyāsa’s disciple); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; Accusative singular

• tapaḥ-nidhim: treasure of austerity
• tapaḥ-nidhim: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tapas (प्रातिपदिक) + nidhi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (treasure of austerity); पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; Accusative singular

• sukha-upaviṣṭam: seated comfortably
• sukha-upaviṣṭam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sukha (प्रातिपदिक) + upaviṣṭa (√viś/√sad?; उप-आ-√viś/√sad, क्त)
• Form: अव्ययीभाव-समास (‘सुखेन’ = comfortably); क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) used adjectivally; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; agreeing with व्यासशिष्यम्

• viśrāntam: rested
• viśrāntam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vi-√śram (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) used adjectivally; पुंलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन

• pakṣa-anila-hata-klamam: with fatigue dispelled by the wind of (their) wings
• pakṣa-anila-hata-klamam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pakṣa (प्रातिपदिक) + anila (प्रातिपदिक) + hata (√han, क्त) + klama (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुपद-तत्पुरुष (instrumental sense: ‘pakṣānila’ = wing-wind; ‘hata’ = struck/removed; qualifying ‘klama’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग; द्वितीया एकवचन; used adjectivally = ‘whose fatigue is removed by the wind of wings’

Speakers

• The Birds (Dharmapakṣis) addressing Vyāsa’s disciple (often identified in this frame as Jaimini in the broader dialogue-context)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "shanta", "secondaryRasa": "adbhuta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Frame narrative
• Dharma instruction prelude
• Respect to ascetics (tapas)
• Dialogue as teaching method

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse emphasizes reverence toward realized teachers (tapasvins) and establishes a dharmic pedagogy: instruction begins with humility, service, and creating a calm, receptive setting (the birds literally ease the sage’s fatigue before speaking).

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Primarily an ākhyāna/frame-dialogue connective passage rather than a direct pañcalakṣaṇa unit. It functions as narrative scaffolding that introduces/continues dharma-upadeśa (often adjacent to manvantara and vaṃśa materials elsewhere).

What is the esoteric significance?

Birds—symbols of higher vision and ‘sky-ranging’ awareness—cool the heat of tapas with their wing-breeze, suggesting the harmonizing of intense ascetic power (tapas) with compassionate, sattvic communication (dharma taught without harshness).