Shloka 11

प्रलय-प्रक्रिया (Pralaya Process) — Guṇa-Withdrawal and Pratisaṃcara

Devanagari script

शक्र उवाच कथं त्वया बलिस्त्यक्त: किमर्थ वा शिखण्डिनि । कथं च मां न जह्यास्त्वं तन्मे ब्रूहि शुचिस्मिते

Transliteration

śakra uvāca kathaṃ tvayā balis tyaktaḥ kimarthaṃ vā śikhaṇḍini | kathaṃ ca māṃ na jahyās tvaṃ tan me brūhi śucismite ||

Translation

قال شَكرا (إندرا): «كيف تركتِ بالي، ولأي سببٍ يا ذاتَ الضفيرة؟ وكيف لن تتركيني أنا؟ أخبريني بذلك، يا صاحبةَ الابتسامةِ الطاهرةِ الرقيقة.»

Word by Word

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कथम्: how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

• बलिः: Bali
• बलिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्यक्तः: abandoned, forsaken
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• किमर्थम्: for what reason, why
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किमर्थम्

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• शिखण्डिनि: O shikhaṇḍinī (O woman with a crest/tuft; epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिखण्डिन्
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• कथम्: how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• जह्याः: you would abandon / should abandon
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Dative, Singular

• ब्रूहि: tell
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperative (Lot), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शुचिस्मिते: O pure-smiling one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचिस्मित
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

शक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• शक्र (Indra)
• बलि (Bali)
• शिखण्डिनी (epithet; addressed figure, commonly Śrī/Lakṣmī in this dialogue)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames prosperity (Śrī) as conditional rather than permanent: Indra asks why she left Bali and seeks assurance she will not leave him. The ethical implication is that sovereignty and success depend on sustaining dharma and right conduct; when those supports fail, fortune departs.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra (Śakra) addresses a divine feminine figure—described with epithets like “braided-haired” and “pure-smiling”—and questions her about her departure from King Bali. He then asks how she will refrain from abandoning him, seeking the reason and the principle governing her allegiance.