Shloka 13

Sabhā-praveśa, Dāna, and the Courtly Convergence (सभा-प्रवेशः दानं च)

Devanagari script

दामोष्णीषस्त्रैबलिश्व पर्णादो घटजानुक: । मौज्जायनो वायुभक्ष: पाराशर्यश्ष सारिक:

Transliteration

dāmoṣṇīṣas traibaliś ca parṇādo ghaṭajānukaḥ | maujjāyano vāyubhakṣaḥ pārāśaryaś ca sārikāḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：“又有其他苦行者，誓行峻烈，形貌各异：一人头缠绳结般的巾帛；一人与婆利王有所系属；一人以树叶为食；一人久持坐法，双膝如罐；一人披着茅草（muñja）；一人唯以风气为生；又有波罗舍罗之子；此外尚有他人。”

Word by Word

दामgarland/rope

उष्णीषःturban/head-dress

त्रैबलिःTraibali (a proper name/epithet)

चand

पर्णादःleaf-eater

घटजानुकःpot-kneed (one whose knees are like pots)

मौज्जायनःMaujjāyana (a proper name/patronymic)

वायुभक्षःair-eater (one who lives on air)

पाराशर्यःPārāśarya (son/descendant of Parāśara; Vyāsa)

चand

सारिकःSārika (a proper name)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bali

Parāśara

Pārāśarya (Vyāsa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes that spiritual standing in the epic world is often signaled by disciplined restraint and distinctive vows (tapas). By naming varied austerities, it presents self-control and renunciation as socially acknowledged sources of moral and religious authority.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is enumerating notable ascetics/sages associated with the scene, identifying them through epithets based on their practices (living on leaves, on air, wearing muñja-grass, etc.) and lineage (e.g., Pārāśarya). It functions as a descriptive roll-call to convey the breadth of holy presence.