Shloka 36

अश्वशिरो-आख्यानम्

Aśvaśiras / Hayaśiras Narrative: Retrieval of the Vedas

Devanagari script

वसिष्ठ: परमेष्ठी च विवस्वान्‌ू सोम एव च | कर्दमश्नापि य: प्रोक्त: क्रोधो विक्रीत एव च

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | vasiṣṭhaḥ parameṣṭhī ca vivasvān soma eva ca | kardamaś cāpi yaḥ proktaḥ krodho vikrīta eva ca |

Translation

那罗陀说道：“婆悉吒、帕拉梅什提因（梵天）、维瓦斯万（太阳）、苏摩（月亮）、迦尔达摩、克罗陀与维克利塔——这些也被宣称列入生主（Prajāpati）之中。所有这些始祖都被说成出自那至上自性，并奉持、敬拜他所建立的永恒达摩界限。”

Word by Word

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha
• वसिष्ठः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• परमेष्ठी: Paramēṣṭhī (Brahmā/creator)
• परमेष्ठी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमेष्ठिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• विवस्वान्: Vivasvān (the Sun)
• विवस्वान्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विवस्वत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सोमः: Soma (the Moon)
• सोमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• कर्दमः: Kardama
• कर्दमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्दम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• यः: who/which
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रोक्तः: is said/declared
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

• क्रोधः: Krodha (Wrath, personified)
• क्रोधः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रोध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विक्रीतः: Vikrīta (lit. 'sold', as a proper name)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-क्रि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, Past passive participle (क्त)

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Narada
• Vasiṣṭha
• Parameṣṭhin (Brahmā)
• Vivasvān (Sūrya)
• Soma (Candra)
• Kardama
• Krodha
• Vikrīta
• Paramātmā

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the highest cosmic progenitors (Prajāpatis) are not independent; they originate from the Supreme Self and therefore uphold and honor the eternal order (maryādā) of dharma established by that Supreme source.

What is happening in the narrative?

Narada is enumerating Prajāpatis—figures associated with creation and lineage—highlighting that they are born from the Supreme and are committed to maintaining dharma, reinforcing a theological grounding for ethical order.