Shloka 7

Pauṇḍraka’s False Vāsudeva Claim, His Death, and the Burning of Vārāṇasī by Sudarśana

Devanagari script

श्रीशुक उवाच कत्थनं तदुपाकर्ण्य पौण्ड्रकस्याल्पमेधस: । उग्रसेनादय: सभ्या उच्चकैर्जहसुस्तदा ॥ ७ ॥

Transliteration

śrī-śuka uvāca katthanaṁ tad upākarṇya pauṇḍrakasyālpa-medhasaḥ ugrasenādayaḥ sabhyā uccakair jahasus tadā

Translation

Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Hearing the empty boasting of the dull-witted Pauṇḍraka, King Ugrasena and the other members of the assembly laughed aloud.

Synonyms

• śrī-śukaḥ: Śrī Śuka
• śrī-śukaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śrī (प्रातिपदिक) + śuka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारयसमास (honorific): ‘Śrī Śuka’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• katthanam: boastful talk
• katthanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: katthana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• tat: that
• tat: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: tad (प्रातिपदिक/सर्वनाम)
• Form: सर्वनाम, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘that’—कत्थनम् इति विशेषण

• upākarṇya: having heard
• upākarṇya: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Verb
• Root: upa-ā-√kṛ (कृ धातु) / √karṇ (कर्ण् धातु, ‘to hear’) + ल्यप्
• Form: ल्यपन्त अव्ययकृदन्त (absolutive/gerund): ‘having heard/listened to’

• pauṇḍrakasya: of Pauṇḍraka
• pauṇḍrakasya: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pauṇḍraka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन

• alpa-medhasaḥ: (who was) of little wit
• alpa-medhasaḥ: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: alpa (प्रातिपदिक) + medhas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: बहुव्रीहिसमास: ‘of little intelligence’; पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन; पौण्ड्रकस्य इति विशेषण

• ugrasena-ādayaḥ: Ugrasena and others
• ugrasena-ādayaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ugrasena (प्रातिपदिक) + ādi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष: ‘Ugrasena and others’; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• sabhyāḥ: the assembly members
• sabhyāḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sabhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘members of the assembly’

• uccakaiḥ: loudly
• uccakaiḥ: Kriya-viseshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: uccakaiḥ (अव्यय, from uccais)
• Form: अव्यय; क्रियाविशेषण (adverb): ‘loudly/aloud’

• jahasuḥ: laughed
• jahasuḥ: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √has (हस् धातु)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kala-adhikarana (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; कालवाचक क्रियाविशेषण (temporal adverb)

Characters & Entities

• Pauṇḍraka
• Ugrasena
• Śukadeva Gosvāmī

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about false claims of being God (false Vāsudeva)?

This verse shows that Pauṇḍraka’s self-proclamation was mere boasting born of poor intelligence, and the wise immediately recognized it as absurd.

Why did Ugrasena and the assembly laugh at Pauṇḍraka?

Because Pauṇḍraka’s claim to be Vāsudeva was an obvious imitation rooted in delusion; the elders and courtiers could see the truth and thus laughed aloud.

What is the practical lesson of this shloka for modern life?

Avoid self-deception and inflated identity; seek genuine spiritual understanding and humility rather than imitating greatness for prestige.