Shloka 5

Adhyaya 79 — The Vaivasvata Manvantara: Classes of Devas, the Seven Sages, and Manu’s Nine Sons

Sanskrit

सर्वे ते त्रिदशेन्द्रास्तु विज्ञेयास्तुल्यलक्षणाः ।

सहस्राक्षाः कुलिशिनः सर्व एव पुरन्दराः ॥

Transliteration

sarve te tridaśendrās tu vijñeyās tulya-lakṣaṇāḥ | sahasrākṣāḥ kuliśinaḥ sarva eva purandarāḥ ||

Translation

দেৱতাসকলৰ সেই সকলো ইন্দ্ৰ সমান লক্ষণযুক্ত বুলি জানিব লাগে—সহস্ৰাক্ষ, বজ্ৰধাৰী, আৰু সকলোৱে ‘পুৰন্দৰ’ অৰ্থাৎ দুৰ্গধ্বংসক।

Word by Word

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• ते: those
• ते: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• त्रिदश-इन्द्राः: lords of the thirty (gods)
• त्रिदश-इन्द्राः: Karta-sāmānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानाधिकरण/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिदश (प्रातिपदिक) + इन्द्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative): ‘त्रिदशानाम् इन्द्राः’ (lords of the gods); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• तु: indeed
• तु: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Discourse particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु (अव्यय)
• Form: निपात (particle)

• विज्ञेयाः: are to be known
• विज्ञेयाः: Karta-sāmānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानाधिकरण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + ज्ञा (धातु) → विज्ञेय (कृदन्त)
• Form: कृदन्त-विशेषण, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘ज्ञातव्याः’

• तुल्य-लक्षणाः: having similar characteristics
• तुल्य-लक्षणाः: Karta-sāmānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानाधिकरण/Predicate adjective)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तुल्य (प्रातिपदिक) + लक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि (possessive): ‘तुल्यं लक्षणं येषाम्’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• सहस्र-अक्षाः: thousand-eyed
• सहस्र-अक्षाः: Karta-sāmānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानाधिकरण/Apposition)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्र (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक) + अक्ष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहि: ‘सहस्रम् अक्षाणि येषाम्’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• कुलिशिनः: thunderbolt-bearers
• कुलिशिनः: Karta-sāmānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानाधिकरण/Apposition)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुलिशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; ‘कुलिश-धारिणः’ (having the thunderbolt)

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अवधारण-निपात (emphasis)

• पुरन्दराः: Purandaras (Indras)
• पुरन्दराः: Karta-sāmānādhikaraṇa (कर्तृ-समानाधिकरण/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st), बहुवचन; इन्द्र-पर्याय (epithet of Indra)

Speakers

• Mārkaṇḍeya

Primary Deities

• Indra (as a recurring office)

Key Themes

• Manvantara
• Divine offices
• Iconic epithets
• Cosmic governance

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Power is legitimized by protection: Indra’s epithets portray vigilance (many eyes) and decisive action (vajra), implying that leadership must be alert and capable of removing obstacles to order.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Manvantara: it generalizes the characteristics of the Indra-role across successive ages, reinforcing cyclical governance.

What is the esoteric significance?

‘Thousand-eyed’ can indicate expanded awareness; the vajra symbolizes unbreakable discernment—spiritual sovereignty as clarity that shatters ignorance’s ‘fortresses’.