Shloka 82
Adhyaya 3 — The Dharmapakshis’ Past-Life Curse and Indra’s Test of Truthfulness
पूर्वमेव मया प्रोक्तं भवतां सन्निधाविदम् ।
सामान्यपक्षिणो नैते केऽप्येते द्विजसत्तमाः ।
ये युद्धेऽपि न सम्प्राप्ताः पञ्चत्वमतिमानुषे ॥
pūrvam eva mayā proktaṃ bhavatāṃ sannidhāv idam /
sāmānyapakṣiṇo naite ke 'py ete dvijasattamāḥ /
ye yuddhe 'pi na samprāptāḥ pañcatvam atimānuṣe
„Ich habe es bereits in eurer Gegenwart gesagt: Dies sind keine gewöhnlichen Vögel, o Bester unter den Zweimalgeborenen. Es sind außergewöhnliche Wesen, die selbst in der Schlacht nicht in übermenschlicher Weise den ‚Zustand der Fünf‘ (den Tod) erlitten haben.“
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FAQs
The verse establishes that appearances can mislead: beings that look like ordinary creatures may embody higher realization or special destiny. Ethically, it invites humility and careful discernment in judging who is worthy of respect and listening—especially within dharma-teaching contexts.
This verse is primarily part of the Purāṇic frame-story that sets up instruction (ākhyāna/saṃvāda) rather than a direct instance of sarga (creation), pratisarga, vaṃśa, manvantara, or vaṃśānucarita. Indirectly, it supports vaṃśānucarita/ākhyāna by identifying exceptional agents who will carry the discourse.
“Pañcatva” (becoming the five elements) is a traditional euphemism for death; stating that they do not ‘reach pañcatva’ even in battle hints at mastery over fear and bodily limitation—suggestive of tapas, divine protection, or a siddhi-like condition. The ‘bird’ form can symbolically point to elevated vision (viveka) and freedom of movement across domains of knowledge.