SanskritIASTMeaning
शौनकः उवाच जनमेजयस्य सर्पसत्रे के ऋत्विजः परमर्षयः आसन्śaunakaḥ uvāca janamejayasya sarpasatre ke ṛtvijaḥ paramarṣayaḥ āsanShaunaka said: who were the priests, the greatest sages, at the serpent sacrifice of Janamejaya?
के सदस्याः बभूवुः सर्पसत्रे पन्नगानां महाभयेke sadasyāḥ babhūvuḥ sarpasatre pannagānāṃ mahābhayewho were the members of the assembly at the serpent sacrifice, [which brought] great terror to the serpents?
सर्वं विस्तरतस् भवान् शंसितुम् अर्हतिsarvaṃ vistaratas bhavān śaṃsitum arhatiall this in full detail you are worthy to tell [me]
सूतः उवाच ते मनीषिणां नामानि कथयिष्यामिsūtaḥ uvāca te manīṣiṇāṃ nāmāni kathayiṣyāmiSuta said: I will tell you the names of those sages
होता चण्डभार्गवः च्यवनान्वये जातः वेदविदां वरःhotā caṇḍabhārgavaḥ cyavanānvaye jātaḥ vedavidāṃ varaḥthe hotr [was] Chandabhargava, born in the line of Chyavana, foremost among the knowers of the Vedas
उद्गाता कौत्सार्यजैमिनिः ब्रह्मा शार्ङ्गरवः अध्वर्युः बोधपिङ्गलःudgātā kautsāryajaiminiḥ brahmā śārṅgaravaḥ adhvaryuḥ bodhapiṅgalaḥthe udgatr — Jaimini of the line of Kutsa, the brahma-priest — Sharngarava, the adhvaryu — Bodhapingala
सदस्यः व्यासः पुत्रशिष्यसहायवान् उद्दालकः श्वेतकेतुः चsadasyaḥ vyāsaḥ putraśiṣyasahāyavān uddālakaḥ śvetaketuḥ cathe member of the assembly — Vyasa with his son and pupils, Uddalaka, Shvetaketu
असितः देवलः नारदः पर्वतः आत्रेयः चasitaḥ devalaḥ nāradaḥ parvataḥ ātreyaḥ caAsita Devala, Narada, Parvata, Atreya
वात्स्यः श्रुतश्रवाः कहोडः देवशर्मा मौद्गल्यः चvātsyaḥ śrutaśravāḥ kahoḍaḥ devaśarmā maudgalyaḥ caVatsya, Shrutashravas, Kahoda, Devasharman, Maudgalya
एते च अन्ये च बहवः ब्राह्मणाः संशितव्रताः सदस्याः अभवन्ete ca anye ca bahavaḥ brāhmaṇāḥ saṃśitavratāḥ sadasyāḥ abhavanthese and many other brahmins, firm in their vows, were members of the assembly
शौनकśaunakaoriginal form "śaunaka", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तदाtadāoriginal form "tadā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राज्ञःrājñaḥoriginal form "rājñaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पाण्डवेयस्यpāṇḍaveyasyaoriginal form "pāṇḍaveyasya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धीमतःdhīmataḥoriginal form "dhīmataḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्व्tvoriginal form "tv", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आसन्न्āsannoriginal form "āsann", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सदस्याsadasyāoriginal form "sadasyā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बभूवुश्babhūvuśoriginal form "babhūvuś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सुदारुणेsudāruṇeoriginal form "sudāruṇe", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विषादजननेviṣādajananeoriginal form "viṣādajanane", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऽत्यर्थं'tyarthaṃoriginal form "'tyarthaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तातtātaoriginal form "tāta", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
भवाञ्bhavāñoriginal form "bhavāñ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्पसत्रविधानज्ञाsarpasatravidhānajñāoriginal form "sarpasatravidhānajñā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विज्ञेयास्vijñeyāsoriginal form "vijñeyās", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हिhioriginal form "hi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सूतजsūtajaoriginal form "sūtaja", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सूतsūtaoriginal form "sūta", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हन्तhantaoriginal form "hanta", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तेteoriginal form "te", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नामानीहnāmānīhaoriginal form "nāmānīha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मनीषिणाम्manīṣiṇāmoriginal form "manīṣiṇām", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
येyeoriginal form "ye", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऋत्विजःṛtvijaḥoriginal form "ṛtvijaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सदस्याश्sadasyāśoriginal form "sadasyāś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तस्यासन्tasyāsanoriginal form "tasyāsan", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नृपतेस्nṛpatesoriginal form "nṛpates", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तदाtadāoriginal form "tadā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तत्रtatraoriginal form "tatra", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बभूवाथbabhūvāthaoriginal form "babhūvātha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ब्राह्मणश्brāhmaṇaśoriginal form "brāhmaṇaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
च्यवनस्यान्वयेcyavanasyānvayeoriginal form "cyavanasyānvaye", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ख्यातोkhyātooriginal form "khyāto", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ब्राह्मणोbrāhmaṇooriginal form "brāhmaṇo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वृद्धोvṛddhooriginal form "vṛddho", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विद्वान्vidvānoriginal form "vidvān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ब्रह्माभवच्brahmābhavacoriginal form "brahmābhavac", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
छार्ङ्गरवोchārṅgaravooriginal form "chārṅgaravo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अध्वर्युर्adhvaryuroriginal form "adhvaryur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सदस्यश्sadasyaśoriginal form "sadasyaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चाभवद्cābhavadoriginal form "cābhavad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शमठकःśamaṭhakaḥoriginal form "śamaṭhakaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्वेतकेतुश्śvetaketuśoriginal form "śvetaketuś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पञ्चमःpañcamaḥoriginal form "pañcamaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
असितोasitooriginal form "asito", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
देवलश्devalaśoriginal form "devalaś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चैवcaivaoriginal form "caiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पर्वतस्parvatasoriginal form "parvatas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तथाtathāoriginal form "tathā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कुण्डजठरोkuṇḍajaṭharooriginal form "kuṇḍajaṭharo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
द्विजःdvijaḥoriginal form "dvijaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कुटिघटस्kuṭighaṭasoriginal form "kuṭighaṭas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तथाtathāoriginal form "tathā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रुतश्रवाśrutaśravāoriginal form "śrutaśravā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वृद्धस्vṛddhasoriginal form "vṛddhas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तपःस्वाध्यायशीलवान्tapaḥsvādhyāyaśīlavānoriginal form "tapaḥsvādhyāyaśīlavān", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कहोडोkahoḍooriginal form "kahoḍo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शमसौभरःśamasaubharaḥoriginal form "śamasaubharaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चान्येcānyeoriginal form "cānye", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बहवोbahavooriginal form "bahavo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सदस्याsadasyāoriginal form "sadasyā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अभवंस्abhavaṃsoriginal form "abhavaṃs", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तत्रtatraoriginal form "tatra", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सत्रेsatreoriginal form "satre", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पारिक्षितस्यpārikṣitasyaoriginal form "pārikṣitasya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हhaoriginal form "ha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
The scripture here lists a host of great sages — the priests and members of the assembly of the serpent sacrifice. It is significant that among them stands Vyasa himself, compiler of the Vedas and of this very epic, as well as Narada, Asita Devala, Shvetaketu, and other renowned rishis. Their presence lends the rite an appearance of the highest sanctity. But a hidden warning lies here too: even in the presence of so holy an assembly, an excessive act is carried out — the slaughter of an entire race. The holiness of the participants does not sanctify the aim; and so even a host of sages will not prevent the rite — only the young Astika, moved by compassion, is destined to stop it. Thus the scripture shows that learning and asceticism are not in themselves identical with the dharma of compassion; one can be a great knower of the Vedas and still take part in a merciless deed. The list of names also serves another purpose: it roots the tradition in a host of trustworthy witnesses, binding the narrative to venerated lines of rishis.