Shloka 54

Adhyaya 2 — The Wise Birds

Sanskrit

तेनैव खलु वज्रेण तेनैनेन्द्रेण दानवाः । प्राप्‍ते काले हता दैत्या स्तत्क्षणान्निधनं गताः ॥

Transliteration

tenaiva khalu vajreṇa tenainendreṇa dānavāḥ | prāpte kāle hatā daityās tatkṣaṇān nidhanaṃ gatāḥ ||

Translation

Wahrlich, durch eben jenen Donnerkeil—Indras Waffe—wurden die Dānavas erschlagen. Als ihre vom Schicksal bestimmte Zeit gekommen war, wurden die Daityas getroffen und fanden in eben diesem Augenblick ihren Untergang.

Word by Word

तेनby that

एवindeed/only

खलुsurely/indeed

वज्रेणwith the thunderbolt

तेनby that

एनेन्द्रेणIndra’s

दानवाःthe Dānavas (demons)

प्राप्तेwhen (it) had come/arrived

कालेat the time

हताःslain

दैत्याḥthe Daityas (demons)

तत्that

क्षणात्from that moment

निधनम्death/destruction

गताःwent/reached (met)

Speakers

Narratorial voice within the Markandeya Purana’s early discourse (specific interlocutors not identifiable from the single verse alone)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "vira", "secondaryRasa": "raudra", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Primary Deities

Indra

Key Themes

Fate/Time (kāla) as the determinant of deathDivine retribution and cosmic orderDeva–Asura warfareInstrumentality of divine weapons (vajra)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse emphasizes kāla (appointed time) as a governing principle: even mighty beings fall when their destined moment arrives. Ethically, it underscores that power and longevity are contingent, while cosmic order (ṛta/dharma) prevails through divine agency.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

This is best classified under Vaṃśānucarita/Manvantara-adjacent narrative material (accounts of gods and adversaries across eras), illustrating events in the ongoing cosmic administration rather than a direct Sarga/Pratisarga creation passage.

What is the esoteric significance?

Indra’s vajra can be read symbolically as decisive insight or dharmic force that shatters adharma; ‘prāpte kāle’ points to the ripening of karma—when conditions mature, downfall occurs instantly (‘tatkṣaṇāt’), suggesting the sudden collapse of entrenched negativity once its supporting causes are exhausted.