Shloka 17

अश्वमेधावसानम् — Dakṣiṇā-vibhāga and Avabhṛtha

Completion of the Aśvamedha

Devanagari script

शतक्रतुस्तु तद्‌ वाक्यमृषिभिस्तत्त्वदर्शिभि:

Transliteration

śatakratus tu tad vākyam ṛṣibhis tattvadarśibhiḥ

Translation

毗舍波耶那说：于是，百祭主（因陀罗）听受了那些由洞见真谛的仙人所说之言——字字蕴含明悟之重与正法劝诫之力。

Word by Word

• शतक्रतुः: Indra (the performer of a hundred sacrifices)
• शतक्रतुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतक्रतु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वाक्यम्: speech/statement
• वाक्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ऋषिभिः: by the sages
• ऋषिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तत्त्वदर्शिभिः: by the truth-seeing (seers)
• तत्त्वदर्शिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तत्त्वदर्शिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Śatakratu (Indra)
• Ṛṣis (seers)
• Tattvadarśins (truth-seeing sages)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the ethical authority of truth-seeing sages: counsel grounded in tattva (reality) carries special weight, and even the highest powers (like Indra) are portrayed as attentive to such righteous speech.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Indra (Śatakratu) receives or attends to a statement made by ṛṣis described as tattvadarśins, linking the ongoing episode to guidance delivered by spiritually authoritative speakers.