FolioCorpusŚrīmad-Bhāgavatam

Śrīmad-Bhāgavatam 9.13.1

श्रीशुक उवाच निमिरिक्ष्वाकुतनयो वसिष्ठमवृतर्त्विजम् । आरभ्य सत्रं सोऽप्याह शक्रेण प्राग्वृतोऽस्मि भो: ॥ १ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca
[shree-shuka uvaacha]
nimir ikṣvāku-tanayo
[nimir ikshvaaku-tanayo]
vasiṣṭham avṛtartvijam
[vasishtham avritartvijam]
ārabhya satraṁ so ’py āha
[aarabhya satram so ’py aaha]
śakreṇa prāg vṛto ’smi bhoḥ
[shakrena praag vrito ’smi bhoh]
Word-for-word
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca — Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said nimiḥ — King Nimi ikṣvāku-tanayaḥ — the son of Mahārāja Ikṣvāku vasiṣṭham — the great sage Vasiṣṭha avṛta — appointed ṛtvijam — the chief priest of the sacrifice ārabhya — beginning satram — the sacrifice saḥ — he, Vasiṣṭha api — also āha — said śakreṇa — by Lord Indra prāk — before vṛtaḥ asmi — I was appointed bhoḥ — O Mahārāja Nimi.
Blended reading (Sanskrit + English inline)
śrī-śuka uvāca
śrī-śukaḥ uvāca
Śrī Śukadeva Gosvāmī said
nimir ikṣvāku-tanayo
nimiḥ
King Nimi
ikṣvāku-tanayaḥ
the son of Mahārāja Ikṣvāku
vasiṣṭham avṛtartvijam
vasiṣṭham
the great sage Vasiṣṭha
avṛta
appointed
ṛtvijam
the chief priest of the sacrifice
ārabhya satraṁ so ’py āha
ārabhya
beginning
satram
the sacrifice
śakreṇa prāg vṛto ’smi bhoḥ
saḥ
he, Vasiṣṭha
api
also
āha
said
śakreṇa
by Lord Indra
prāk
before
vṛtaḥ asmi
I was appointed
bhoḥ
O Mahārāja Nimi.
Śrīla Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: After beginning sacrifices, Mahārāja Nimi, the son of Ikṣvāku, requested the great sage Vasiṣṭha to take the post of chief priest. At that time, Vasiṣṭha replied, “My dear Mahārāja Nimi, I have already accepted the same post in a sacrifice begun by Lord Indra.”
Gauḍīya Ācāryas
Viśvanātha Cakravartī Ṭhākura Gauḍīya
Translation
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: At beginning of a sacrifice, Nimi, the son of Ikṣvāku, requested Vasiṣṭha to take the post of chief priest. At that time, Vasiṣṭha replied, "My dear Mahārāja Nimi, I have already accepted the same post in a sacrifice begun by Lord Indra.” The Thirteenth Chapter completes the description of the sun dynasty by describing the descendants from Ikṣvāku’s son Nimi, containing stories of Viṣṇu and his devotees.
Related lectures
Personal Guidance
Nimi asks Vasiṣṭha to be his chief priest, but the sage has already accepted the same role for Indra. Even the greatest spiritual functionaries have prior commitments — and good service requires honoring previous yeses.
Reflection Questions
  • Where am I accepting new commitments without honoring the ones I have already given?
  • Whom have I overpromised because I am unable to say 'I am already engaged'?
📝 My note

Source: vedabase.io

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