Shloka 42

मान्धातृ-जन्म-चरितम्

The Birth and Career Account of Māndhātṛ

Devanagari script

तेन द्वादशवार्षिक्यामनावृष्ट्यां महात्मना । वृष्टं सस्यविवृद्धयर्थ मिषतो वज़पाणिन:,उन महामना नरेशने बारह वर्षोतक होनेवाली अनावृष्टिके समय वज्रधारी इन्द्रके देखते-देखते खेतीकी उन्नतिके लिये स्वयं पानीकी वर्षा की थी

Transliteration

tena dvādaśavārṣikyām anāvṛṣṭyāṁ mahātmanā | vṛṣṭaṁ sasyavivṛddhyarthaṁ miṣato vajrapāṇinaḥ ||

Translation

Lomaśa sprach: „Während einer zwölfjährigen Dürre ließ jener Großgesinnte Regen fallen, damit die Saaten gedeihen — und Indra, der Träger des Vajra, sah es mit eigenen Augen.“

Word by Word

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• द्वादशवार्षिक्याम्: in the twelve-year (period)
• द्वादशवार्षिक्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश-वार्षिकी
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• अनावृष्ट्याम्: in the drought / non-rain
• अनावृष्ट्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनावृष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Karana
• Type: Noun/Adjective
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• वृष्टम्: rained / caused to rain
• वृष्टम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृष्
• Form: Past Passive Participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• सस्यविवृद्धये: for the increase of crops
• सस्यविवृद्धये: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सस्य-विवृद्धि
• Form: Feminine, Dative, Singular

• अर्थम्: for the sake/purpose
• अर्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• मिषतः: while (he) was looking; of one who is watching
• मिषतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मिषत्
• Form: Present Participle (शतृ), Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• वज्रपाणिनः: of Vajra-in-hand (Indra)
• वज्रपाणिनः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वज्रपाणि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

लोमश उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Lomaśa
• Indra (Vajrapāṇi)
• rain (vṛṣṭi)
• crops/grain (sasya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler or great person’s dharma includes safeguarding public welfare—especially food security. Even when nature (or the gods) withholds rain, one must act for the common good, showing compassion and responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Lomaśa recounts an extraordinary event: during a prolonged twelve-year drought, a great-souled figure brings about rainfall to help crops flourish, and this occurs in Indra’s very presence, underscoring the figure’s exceptional power or merit.