Shloka 3

Paurava-vaṃśa-kathana (Account of the Paurava Lineage) | महाभारत आदि पर्व अध्याय ८९

Devanagari script

इन्द्र रवाच यदावमंस्था: सदृश: श्रेयसश्न अल्पीयसश्षाविदितप्रभाव: । तस्माल्लोकास्त्वन्तवन्तस्तवेमे क्षीणे पुण्ये पतितास्यद्य राजन्‌

Transliteration

śakra uvāca | yad avamaṁsthāḥ sadṛśaḥ śreyasaś ca alpīyasaś ca avidita-prabhāvaḥ | tasmāl lokās tv antavantas taveme kṣīṇe puṇye patito ’sy adya rājan ||

Translation

Śakra (Indra) sprach: „Weil du andere verächtlich behandelt hast—die dir Gleichgestellten, die dir Überlegenen und die dir Unterlegenen—ohne ihre wahre Macht und ihren Wert zu erkennen, ist die Frist deines Aufenthalts in diesen verdienstvollen Welten zu Ende gegangen. Durch solches Herabsetzen ist dein Verdienst erschöpft; darum, o König, wirst du heute von hier herabstürzen.“

Word by Word

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यदा: when
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदा

• अवमंस्थाः: acts of contempt/insults
• अवमंस्थाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अवमंस्था
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• सदृशान्: equals
• सदृशान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सदृश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• श्रेयसः: of the better/superior
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अल्पीयसः: of the lesser/inferior
• Type: Noun
• Root: अल्पीयस्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अविदित-प्रभावः: one who has not known (their) power/importance
• अविदित-प्रभावः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविदितप्रभाव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that cause
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात्

• लोकाः: worlds/realms
• लोकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तु: indeed/but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• अन्तवन्तः: having an end; finite
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तव: your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• इमे: these
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• क्षीणे: when (it is) exhausted; in the state of being diminished
• क्षीणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्षीण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• पुण्ये: merit
• पुण्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुण्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• पतितासि: you have fallen / you will fall
• Type: Verb
• Root: पत्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), 2, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अद्य: today/now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

शक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Rājan (the king addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Heavenly enjoyment is finite and depends on accumulated merit; contempt and disparagement of others erode that merit. Ethical restraint—especially humility and respect toward all—protects one’s spiritual and karmic standing.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra addresses a king who has been enjoying heavenly realms. Indra explains that the king’s scorn toward people of all ranks has depleted his merit, so his allotted time in those worlds has ended and he must now fall from heaven.