Shloka 9

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

Devanagari script

दृष्टवा च त्वां धिछितं देवमार्गे शक्रार्कविष्णुप्रतिमप्रभावम्‌ । अभ्युद्गतास्त्वां वयमद्य सर्वे तत्त्वं प्रपाते तव जिज्ञासमाना:,तुम इन्द्र, सूर्य और विष्णुके समान प्रभावशाली हो। तुम्हें आकाशमें स्थित देखकर हम सब लोग अब यह जाननेके लिये तुम्हारे निकट आये हैं कि तुम्हारे पतनका यथार्थ कारण क्या है?

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā ca tvāṁ dhikṣitaṁ devamārge śakrārkaviṣṇupratimaprabhāvam | abhyudgatās tvāṁ vayam adya sarve tattvaṁ prapāte tava jijñāsamānāḥ ||

Translation

Da wir dich auf dem Pfad der Götter erblickten, strahlend in einer Macht, die Indra, der Sonne und Viṣṇu gleicht, sind wir heute alle zu dir herangetreten. Wir wollen den wahren Grund deines Falls erfahren—welche Wirklichkeit hinter diesem Abstieg steht.

Word by Word

• {'dṛṣṭvā': 'having seen', 'ca': 'and', 'tvām': 'you', 'dhikṣitam': 'placed/positioned

• stationed (in a fixed state)', 'devamārge': 'on the divine path

• in the way/region of the gods', 'śakra': 'Indra', 'arka': 'the Sun', 'viṣṇu': 'Viṣṇu', 'pratima': 'comparable to

• resembling', 'prabhāva': 'power, majesty, splendor, influence', 'abhyudgatāḥ': 'having come forth/approached

• having risen up to meet', 'vayam': 'we', 'adya': 'today, now', 'sarve': 'all', 'tattvam': 'the truth

• the real principle/cause', 'prapāte': 'in (your) fall/descent', 'tava': 'your', 'jijñāsamānāḥ': 'desiring to know

Speaker

अट्क उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Aṭka
• Indra (Śakra)
• Sūrya (Arka)
• Viṣṇu
• devamārga (the divine path)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even one who appears godlike in power and radiance is still subject to moral causality; therefore the wise inquire into the true cause (tattva) behind rise and fall, emphasizing accountability and the ethical logic of karma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Aṭka addresses a luminous being seen on the divine path, whose splendor resembles Indra, the Sun, and Viṣṇu. Aṭka and others approach to ask why this person has fallen/descended and to learn the real reason behind that fall.