Shloka 16

Yugapramāṇa–Kaliyuga-lakṣaṇa–Pralaya-kathā

Markandeya’s Account of Yugas, Kali Signs, and Dissolution

Devanagari script

अथात्रिरपि राजेन्द्र गौतम॑ प्रत्यभाषत । अयमेव विधाता हि यथैवेन्द्र: प्रजापति: । त्वमेव मुहासे मोहाजन्न प्रज्ञानं तवास्ति ह,राजेन्द्र! तब अत्रिने भी गौतमको उत्तर देते हुए कहा--'मुने! ये पृथु ही विधाता हैं, ये ही प्रजापति इन्द्रके समान हैं। तुम्हीं मोहसे मोहित हो रहे हो; तुम्हें उत्तम बुद्धि नहीं प्राप्त है!

Transliteration

athātrir api rājendra gautamaṃ pratyabhāṣata | ayam eva vidhātā hi yathaivendraḥ prajāpatiḥ | tvam eva muhāse mohāj janna prajñānaṃ tavāsti ha |

Translation

ثم إنَّ أتري خاطب غوتَما أيضًا قائلاً: «يا أيها الملك! إنَّ هذا بريثو هو حقًّا المُدبِّرُ المُقَدِّر—كإندرا، وكبراجابتي. ولكنك أنتَ الذي تُضلِّلُه الحيرة؛ فلا بصيرةَ صادقةَ فيك.»

Word by Word

• {'atha': 'then, now', 'atrir api': 'Atri also', 'rājendra': 'O best of kings (vocative address)', 'gautamam': 'to Gautama (accusative)', 'pratyabhāṣata': 'replied to

• spoke in response', 'ayam eva': 'this very one', 'vidhātā': 'ordainer, creator, disposer (one who sets things in order)', 'hi': 'indeed, for', 'yathā eva': 'just as, even as', 'indraḥ': 'Indra (king of the gods)', 'prajāpatiḥ': 'Prajāpati (lord of creatures

• progenitor)', 'tvam eva': 'you yourself', 'muhāse': 'are bewildered / are confused (sense: mohyase)', 'mohāt': 'from delusion', 'janna': 'O man (vocative

• addressing Gautama)', 'prajñānam': 'wisdom, discernment, higher understanding', 'tava': 'in you / your', 'asti ha': 'is indeed (emphatic particle ha)'}

Speaker

गौतम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Atri
• Gautama
• Pṛthu
• Indra
• Prajāpati

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse contrasts prajñā (clear discernment) with moha (delusion), asserting that rightful authority and cosmic order are to be recognized through wisdom; failing to see the true ‘ordainer’ is a sign of confusion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Atri responds to Gautama in a debate, declaring that Pṛthu should be regarded as the effective ‘vidhātā’ (one who establishes order), comparable in stature to Indra and Prajāpati, and rebukes Gautama for being mentally clouded.