Shloka 20

Uttanka’s Viśvarūpa Request and the ‘Uttanka Clouds’ Boon (उत्तङ्क-विष्वरूप-दर्शनम्)

Devanagari script

मानुष्ये वर्तमाने तु कृपणं याचिता मया । न च ते जातसम्मोहा वचो<गृह्नन्त मे हितम्‌

Transliteration

mānuṣye vartamāne tu kṛpaṇaṃ yācitā mayā | na ca te jātasammoḥā vaco gṛhṇanti me hitam ||

Translation

«ولأنني الآن أسير في حال البشر، لم أستعمل قدرتي الإلهية ضدّ الكورافا؛ بل بادرتُ أولًا إلى التماسِ الصلح بتواضع. غير أنهم، وقد غمرهم الوهم، لم يقبلوا قولي الذي نطقتُ به لخيرهم.»

Word by Word

• {'mānuṣye': 'in the human state/among humans

• in human embodiment', 'vartamāne': 'being present, existing, moving about', 'tu': 'but, indeed', 'kṛpaṇam': 'piteously, humbly

• in a supplicatory manner', 'yācitā': 'was begged/entreated (feminine past passive participle used impersonally here)', 'mayā': 'by me', 'na ca': 'and not

• nor', 'te': 'they (those people)', 'jāta-sammoḥāḥ': 'having become deluded

• overcome by confusion', 'vacaḥ': 'words, speech, counsel', 'gṛhṇanti': 'accept, take up, heed', 'me': 'my', 'hitam': 'beneficial, for their good

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva (Wind-god)
• Kauravas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even one who has power should first act with restraint and seek a righteous, peaceful resolution; refusal to heed beneficial counsel is a sign of moha (delusion) and leads to ruin.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva explains that, while operating within a human context, he chose not to use divine force against the Kauravas and instead pleaded for a settlement; the Kauravas, deluded, rejected his well-intentioned advice.