Shloka 20

Puruṣaikatva-vyākhyāna: The One Virāṭ Puruṣa and the Many ‘Puruṣas’

Rudra–Brahmā Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

अस्य प्रतिप्रियं कार्य सहितैनों दिवौकस: । इति बुद्ध्या व्यवस्याशु गत्वा निश्चयमीश्व॒रा:

Transliteration

asya pratipriyaṁ kārya sahitainō divaukasaḥ | iti buddhyā vyavasyāśu gatvā niścayam īśvarāḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „Die Götter, zusammen mit Indra, fassten rasch einen festen Entschluss und brachen auf in dem Verständnis: ‚Wir müssen ihm zum Gegendienst das Zuträgliche tun, ihm, der zu unserem Wohl gehandelt hat.‘“

Word by Word

अस्यof him/this (person)

प्रतिप्रियम्a pleasing return / something agreeable in return

कार्यम्a deed; what should be done

सहितैःtogether with; accompanied by

एनःsin; offense

दिवौकसःthe dwellers in heaven; gods

इतिthus

बुद्ध्याwith understanding; by thought

व्यवस्यhaving resolved/decided

आशुquickly

गत्वाhaving gone

निश्चयम्a decision; certainty

ईश्वराःthe lords; the powerful ones

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Indra

the gods (divaukasaḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should respond to benefaction with a fitting return—recognizing gratitude as a dharmic obligation and acting decisively to repay or uphold the good received.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes the gods, led by Indra, forming a swift and settled decision to go and perform a reciprocal good deed for someone who has benefited them.