Shloka 24

मरुत्तोपाख्यान-प्रस्तावः — Genealogy to Marutta and the Logistics of Royal Sacrifice

Devanagari script

नागायुतसमप्राण: साक्षाद्‌ विष्णुरिवापर: । स यक्ष्यमाणो धर्मात्मा शातकुम्भमयान्युत

Transliteration

nāgāyutasamaprāṇaḥ sākṣād viṣṇur ivāparaḥ | sa yakṣyamāṇo dharmātmā śātakumbhamayāny uta

Translation

他具万象之力，堪比一万头大象，宛如毗湿奴（Viṣṇu）另现其身。那位具法性之人将行祭祀之际，又命人备办许多纯金之器物以供仪式之用。

Word by Word

• नागायुतसमप्राणः: having strength equal to ten-thousand elephants
• नागायुतसमप्राणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नागायुत-सम-प्राण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• साक्षात्: directly, manifestly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: साक्षात्

• विष्णुः: Vishnu
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like, as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अपरः: another, second
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यक्ष्यमाणः: about to perform a sacrifice
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, शतृ (future passive participle / periphrastic future participle sense: 'about to sacrifice')

• धर्मात्मा: one whose nature is righteousness
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म-आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शातकुम्भमयानि: made of gold (śātakumbha)
• शातकुम्भमयानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शातकुम्भ-मय
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• उत: and, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Viṣṇu
• elephants (as a measure of strength)
• śātakumbha (pure gold)
• yajña (sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is shown not only in personal virtue but in public responsibility: a righteous ruler expresses order and welfare through lawful ritual (yajña) and generous, properly directed wealth (gold prepared for sacrificial giving), aligning power with ethical purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa describes a dharmic figure of extraordinary might—likened to Viṣṇu—who is preparing to undertake a sacrifice. The mention of śātakumbha-made items indicates the material preparations and intended gifts associated with the rite.