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Shloka 7

Pauṇḍraka’s False Vāsudeva Claim, His Death, and the Burning of Vārāṇasī by Sudarśana

श्रीशुक उवाच कत्थनं तदुपाकर्ण्य पौण्ड्रकस्याल्पमेधस: । उग्रसेनादय: सभ्या उच्चकैर्जहसुस्तदा ॥ ७ ॥

śrī-śuka uvāca katthanaṁ tad upākarṇya pauṇḍrakasyālpa-medhasaḥ ugrasenādayaḥ sabhyā uccakair jahasus tadā

Śukadeva sprach: Als Ugrasena und die anderen Versammelten das eitle Prahlen des wenig verständigen Pauṇḍraka hörten, lachten sie laut auf.

śrī-śukaḥŚrī Śuka
śrī-śukaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootśrī (प्रातिपदिक) + śuka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formकर्मधारयसमास (honorific): ‘Śrī Śuka’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
uvācasaid
uvāca:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√vac (वच् धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन
katthanamboastful talk
katthanam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootkatthana (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
tatthat
tat:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
Formसर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘that’—कत्थनम् इति विशेषण
upākarṇyahaving heard
upākarṇya:
Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootupa-ā-√kṛ (कृ धातु) / √karṇ (कर्ण् धातु, ‘to hear’) + ल्यप्
Formल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund): ‘having heard/listened to’
pauṇḍrakasyaof Pauṇḍraka
pauṇḍrakasya:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootpauṇḍraka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन
alpa-medhasaḥ(who was) of little wit
alpa-medhasaḥ:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeAdjective
Rootalpa (प्रातिपदिक) + medhas (प्रातिपदिक)
Formबहुव्रीहिसमास: ‘of little intelligence’; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; पौण्ड्रकस्य इति विशेषण
ugrasena-ādayaḥUgrasena and others
ugrasena-ādayaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootugrasena (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतत्पुरुष: ‘Ugrasena and others’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
sabhyāḥthe assembly members
sabhyāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootsabhya (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘members of the assembly’
uccakaiḥloudly
uccakaiḥ:
Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootuccakaiḥ (अव्यय, from uccais)
Formअव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb): ‘loudly/aloud’
jahasuḥlaughed
jahasuḥ:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√has (हस् धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन
tadāthen
tadā:
Kala-adhikarana (कालाधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottadā (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)
P
Pauṇḍraka
U
Ugrasena
Ś
Śukadeva Gosvāmī

FAQs

This verse shows that Pauṇḍraka’s self-proclamation was mere boasting born of poor intelligence, and the wise immediately recognized it as absurd.

Because Pauṇḍraka’s claim to be Vāsudeva was an obvious imitation rooted in delusion; the elders and courtiers could see the truth and thus laughed aloud.

Avoid self-deception and inflated identity; seek genuine spiritual understanding and humility rather than imitating greatness for prestige.