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Shloka 72

Diti’s Puṁsavana Vow, Indra’s Intervention, and the Birth of the Maruts

कृत्तो मे सप्तधा गर्भ आसन् सप्त कुमारका: । तेऽपि चैकैकशो वृक्णा: सप्तधा नापि मम्रिरे ॥ ७२ ॥

kṛtto me saptadhā garbha āsan sapta kumārakāḥ te ’pi caikaikaśo vṛkṇāḥ saptadhā nāpi mamrire

Zuerst schnitt ich das Kind im Mutterleib in sieben Stücke, die zu sieben Kindern wurden. Dann schnitt ich jedes der Kinder wieder in sieben Stücke. Durch die Gnade des Höchsten Herrn starb jedoch keines von ihnen.

kṛttaḥwas cut
kṛttaḥ:
Kriya (क्रिया/Predicate)
TypeAdjective
Rootkṛtta (कृदन्त; √kṛt/कृत् ‘to cut’; PPP)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त (PPP)
meby me / of me
me:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
TypeNoun
Rootasmad (अस्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी, एकवचन; सर्वनाम
saptadhāinto seven parts
saptadhā:
Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsaptadhā (अव्यय)
Formपरिमाण/प्रकारवाचक अव्यय (adverb) ‘in seven ways/into seven parts’
garbhaḥthe embryo
garbhaḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootgarbha (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
āsanwere
āsan:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√as (अस् धातु)
Formलङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन
saptaseven
sapta:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootsapta (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
Formसंख्या; numeral adjective qualifying plural noun
kumārakāḥboys/sons
kumārakāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootkumāraka (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन
tethey
te:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottad (तद्-प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; सर्वनाम
apialso
api:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चय/अपि-कारक अव्यय (particle ‘also/even’)
caand
ca:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootca (अव्यय)
Formसमुच्चयबोधक अव्यय (conjunction)
eka-ekaśaḥone by one
eka-ekaśaḥ:
Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rooteka (प्रातिपदिक) + ekaśas (अव्यय-प्रातिपदिक)
Formअव्ययीभाव; क्रियाविशेषण ‘one by one’
vṛkṇāḥhaving been cut
vṛkṇāḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeAdjective
Rootvṛkṇa (कृदन्त; √vraśc/व्रश्च् ‘to cut’; PPP)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; क्त (PPP)
saptadhāinto seven parts
saptadhā:
Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsaptadhā (अव्यय)
Formप्रकारवाचक अव्यय
nanot
na:
Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootna (अव्यय)
Formनिषेधार्थक अव्यय
apieven
api:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootapi (अव्यय)
Formparticle ‘even/also’
mamriredied
mamrire:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Root√mṛ (मृ धातु)
Formलिट् (Perfect), आत्मनेपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन
D
Diti
I
Indra
M
Maruts

FAQs

This verse states that even after Diti’s embryo was repeatedly cut—first into seven, then each into seven more—the children did not die, indicating the extraordinary destiny of the Maruts and the divine arrangement behind their birth.

In this chapter’s story, Indra feared that Diti’s son might become a powerful enemy of the devas; entering her womb, he attempted to prevent that outcome by cutting the embryo—yet the result became the Maruts.

It highlights that outcomes are not always controlled by fear-driven actions; higher providence can transform even hostile intentions into a different destiny, encouraging humility, restraint, and trust in divine arrangement.