Shloka 8

नारदकथितं माधव्याः तपश्चर्या–ययातेः स्वर्गविचारः | Nārada on Mādhavī’s Asceticism and the Scrutiny of Yayāti in Heaven

Devanagari script

अपराण्यपि चत्वारि शतानि द्विजसत्तम | नीयमानानि संतारे हृतान्यासन्‌ वितस्तया

Transliteration

aparāṇy api catvāri śatāni dvijasattama | nīyamānāni saṃtāre hṛtāny āsan vitastayā ||

Translation

那罗陀说道：“噢，二生之中最胜者，途中有一处必须渡河。除那六百匹马外，尚有四百匹。它们被牵往渡口之时，那四百匹竟为维塔斯塔河（Vitastā）凶猛的急流所卷走。”

Word by Word

• अपराणि: other (additional) ones
• अपराणि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• चत्वारि: four
• चत्वारि: Karma
• Type: Adjective (Numeral)
• Root: चतुर् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

• शतानि: hundreds
• शतानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

• द्विजसत्तम: O best of the twice-born (brahmin)
• Type: Noun (Vocative address)
• Root: द्विजसत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• नीयमानानि: being led/taken
• Type: Verb (Participle)
• Root: नी (धातु) + शानच् (वर्तमान कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural, Passive (being led)

• संतारे: at the crossing (ford/passage)
• संतारे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संतार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• हृतानि: carried away/snatched away
• Type: Verb (Past participle)
• Root: हृ (धातु) + क्त (भूतकृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Plural

• आसन्: were
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• वितस्तया: by the Vitastā (Jhelum river)
• वितस्तया: Karana
• Type: Noun (Proper noun: river)
• Root: वितस्ता (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• dvijasattama (addressed brāhmaṇa)
• Vitastā (Jhelum river)
• horses

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even carefully planned undertakings can be undone by uncontrollable forces; the passage underscores the fragility of worldly resources and the need for prudence and humility when pursuing power or preparing for conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada recounts a logistical setback during a journey: while crossing the Vitastā at a ford, four hundred additional horses—beyond an earlier count of six hundred—are swept away by the river’s strong current.