SánscritoIASTSignificado
कथं हिंसितवान् सर्पान् क्षत्रियः जनमेजयःkathaṃ hiṃsitavān sarpān kṣatriyaḥ janamejayaḥhow did the kshatriya Janamejaya destroy the serpents?
किमर्थं सर्पाः हिंसिताःkimarthaṃ sarpāḥ hiṃsitāḥwhy were the serpents destroyed?
किमर्थं मोक्षिताः पन्नगाः आस्तीकेनkimarthaṃ mokṣitāḥ pannagāḥ āstīkenawhy were the serpents freed by Astika?
तत् आचक्ष्व श्रोतुम् इच्छामि अशेषतःtat ācakṣva śrotum icchāmi aśeṣataḥtell me this, I wish to hear it in full
श्रोष्यसि आस्तीक-चरितं महत् ब्राह्मणानां कथयताम्śroṣyasi āstīka-caritaṃ mahat brāhmaṇānāṃ kathayatāmyou will hear the great life of Astika from the mouths of the brahmanas who tell it
इति उक्त्वा अन्तरधीयतiti uktvā antaradhīyatahaving said this, [the sage] vanished
रुरुः वनं पर्यधावत् तम् ऋषिं द्रष्टुम् अन्विच्छन्ruruḥ vanaṃ paryadhāvat tam ṛṣiṃ draṣṭum anvicchanRuru ran through the whole forest, seeking to see that sage
संश्रान्तः न्यपतत् भुविsaṃśrāntaḥ nyapatat bhuviexhausted, he fell to the ground
लब्ध-संज्ञः आयात् पितुः तत् आचख्यौlabdha-saṃjñaḥ āyāt pituḥ tat ācakhyauhaving regained consciousness, he returned and told [everything] to his father
पिता तत् आख्यानं पृष्टः सर्वं न्यवेदयत्pitā tat ākhyānaṃ pṛṣṭaḥ sarvaṃ nyavedayatthe father, being asked, told that tale in full
रुरुर्rururoriginal form "rurur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
क्षत्रियोkṣatriyooriginal form "kṣatriyo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्पाsarpāoriginal form "sarpā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वाvāoriginal form "vā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हिंसितास्hiṃsitāsoriginal form "hiṃsitās", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तातtātaoriginal form "tāta", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
द्विजसत्तमdvijasattamaoriginal form "dvijasattama", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मोक्षिताश्mokṣitāśoriginal form "mokṣitāś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चैवcaivaoriginal form "caiva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पन्नगास्pannagāsoriginal form "pannagās", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तेनtenaoriginal form "tena", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शंसśaṃsaoriginal form "śaṃsa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मेmeoriginal form "me", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तद्tadoriginal form "tad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इच्छाम्य्icchāmyoriginal form "icchāmy", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ऋषिर्ṛṣiroriginal form "ṛṣir", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्वंtvaṃoriginal form "tvaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
रुरोrurooriginal form "ruro", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वम्sarvamoriginal form "sarvam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आस्तीकचरितंāstīkacaritaṃoriginal form "āstīkacaritaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इत्य्ityoriginal form "ity", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
उक्त्वान्तरधीयतuktvāntaradhīyataoriginal form "uktvāntaradhīyata", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सूतsūtaoriginal form "sūta", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
रुरुश्ruruśoriginal form "ruruś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चापिcāpioriginal form "cāpi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
समन्ततःsamantataḥoriginal form "samantataḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
संश्रान्तोsaṃśrāntooriginal form "saṃśrānto", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
न्यपतद्nyapatadoriginal form "nyapatad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
लब्धसंज्ञोlabdhasaṃjñooriginal form "labdhasaṃjño", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
रुरुश्ruruśoriginal form "ruruś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चायात्cāyātoriginal form "cāyāt", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तच्tacoriginal form "tac", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चाचख्यौcācakhyauoriginal form "cācakhyau", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पितुस्pitusoriginal form "pitus", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तदाtadāoriginal form "tadā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चास्यcāsyaoriginal form "cāsya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तद्tadoriginal form "tad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वंsarvaṃoriginal form "sarvaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
This brief chapter serves as a bridge: it awakens in Ruru — and in the listener — a thirst to hear the great tale of Astika, the savior of the serpents. It is significant that the sage points out that the life of Astika must be heard "from the mouths of the brahmanas who tell it" — that is, through proper transmission, in the company of the saintly, not by chance. Thus the principle of shravana is affirmed once more: the sacred tale is received through a chain of the knowledgeable, in reverent listening. The sage's disappearance and Ruru's fruitless search, his exhaustion and fall to the ground, show how strongly the awakened desire to hear of the saintly can burn — but also that spiritual knowledge cannot be seized by force or pursuit; it is granted in its own time and by its own path. Ruru's turning to his father models how one should go to one's elders, to the line of succession, for the resolution of spiritual questions. Here it is revealed that a genuine thirst for hari-katha — the narration of the Lord and His devotees — is a precious gift, satisfied in sadhu-sanga, through humble inquiry addressed to those who keep the tradition. Thus the chapter leads into the very tale of Astika, a triumph of mercy, for the sake of which this whole frame has been built.