Mahabharata
Vaivāhika-parva (pañcendra-upākhyāna) (The Tale of the Five Indras)1.189.1–2
1384 / 15823
Mahabharata · 1.189.1–2
Devanāgarī

व्यास उवाच
पुरा वै नैमिषारण्ये देवाः सत्रम् उपासते ॥
तत्र वैवस्वतो राजञ् शामित्रम् अकरोत् तदा ॥
ततो यमो दीक्षितस् तत्र राजन्; नामारयत् किं चिद् अपि प्रजाभ्यः ॥
ततः प्रजास् ता बहुला बभूवुः; कालातिपातान् मरणात् प्रहीणाः ॥

Transliteration (IAST)

vyāsa uvāca
purā vai naimiṣāraṇye devāḥ satram upāsate ||
tatra vaivasvato rājañ śāmitram akarot tadā ||
tato yamo dīkṣitas tatra rājan; nāmārayat kiṃ cid api prajābhyaḥ ||
tataḥ prajās tā bahulā babhūvuḥ; kālātipātān maraṇāt prahīṇāḥ ||

Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
पुरा वै नैमिषारण्ये देवाः सत्रम् उपासतेpurā vai naimiṣāraṇye devāḥ satram upāsateof old, in the Naimisha forest, the gods were performing a sacrificial session [sattra],
तत्र वैवस्वतः राजन् शामित्रम् अकरोत् तदाtatra vaivasvataḥ rājan śāmitram akarot tadāthere Vaivasvata [Yama], O king, was then performing the [duty of] the slaughterer [shamitra];
ततः यमः दीक्षितः तत्र राजन् न अमारयत् किं चित् अपि प्रजाभ्यःtataḥ yamaḥ dīkṣitaḥ tatra rājan na amārayat kiṃ cit api prajābhyaḥand Yama, consecrated there [to the rite], O king, did not put to death even a little any of the creatures;
ततः प्रजाः ताः बहुलाः बभूवुः कालातिपातात् मरणात् प्रहीणाःtataḥ prajāḥ tāḥ bahulāḥ babhūvuḥ kālātipātāt maraṇāt prahīṇāḥtherefore those creatures multiplied, deprived of death by the non-arrival of their [appointed] time;
व्यासvyāsaoriginal form "vyasa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वैवस्वतोvaivasvatooriginal form "vaivasvato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
राजञ्rājañoriginal form "rajan", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ततोtatooriginal form "tato", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
यमोyamooriginal form "yamo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दीक्षितस्dīkṣitasoriginal form "dikshitas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नामारयत्nāmārayatoriginal form "namarayat", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चिद्cidoriginal form "cid", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रजास्prajāsoriginal form "prajas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ताoriginal form "ta", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
बहुलाbahulāoriginal form "bahula", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
कालातिपातान्kālātipātānoriginal form "kalatipatan", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation

Vyasa said: "Of old, in the Naimisha forest, the gods were performing a sacrificial session; there Yama performed the duty of the slaughterer. And, consecrated to the rite, he put none of the creatures to death; therefore the creatures multiplied, deprived of death because their appointed time did not arrive."

Version

9eca5e2556a3 · published Jul 12, 2026, 5:44:41 PM UTC

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