Shloka 18

ययाति–देवयानी संवादः

Yayāti–Devayānī Dialogue and Śukra’s Consent

Devanagari script

स गत्वा त्वरितो राजन देवै: सम्प्रेषित: कच: । असुरेन्द्रपुरे शुक्र दृष्टवा वाक्यमुवाच ह,राजन! देवताओंके भेजे हुए कच तुरंत दानवराज वृषपर्वाके नगरमें जाकर शुक्राचार्यसे मिले और इस प्रकार बोले--

Transliteration

sa gatvā tvarito rājan devaiḥ sampreṣitaḥ kacaḥ | asurendrapure śukraṃ dṛṣṭvā vākyam uvāca ha ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „O König, Kaca—von den Göttern entsandt—ging eilends. Als er die Stadt des Herrn der Asuras erreichte, traf er Śukra (Śukrācārya) und redete ihn mit geziemenden Worten an.“

Word by Word

सःhe

गत्वाhaving gone

त्वरितःhastened, quickly

राजन्O king

देवैःby the gods

सम्प्रेषितःsent, dispatched

कचःKaca

असुरेन्द्रपुरेin the city of the lord of Asuras

शुक्रम्Śukra (Śukrācārya)

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

वाक्यम्speech, words

उवाचsaid, spoke

हindeed (particle)

राजन्O king

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Kaca

Devas

Śukra (Śukrācārya)

Asura-indra-pura (city of the Asura lord)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A divinely assigned goal should be pursued with urgency, yet one must approach a teacher with proper restraint and respectful speech—even when the teacher belongs to an opposing side. The verse highlights disciplined conduct (vinaya) as essential to learning and to ethically navigating conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kaca, acting on the gods’ instruction, quickly reaches the Asura lord’s city and meets Śukrācārya. This moment introduces Kaca’s entry into the Asura sphere and sets up his request to study under Śukra, which becomes central to the Sanjīvanī-vidyā storyline.