Srimad Bhagavatam — Shashtha Skandha, Shloka 70

Diti’s Puṁsavana Vow, Indra’s Intervention, and the Birth of the Maruts

Devanagari script

एक: सङ्कल्पित: पुत्र: सप्त सप्ताभवन् कथम् । यदि ते विदितं पुत्र सत्यं कथय मा मृषा ॥ ७० ॥

Transliteration

ekaḥ saṅkalpitaḥ putraḥ sapta saptābhavan katham yadi te viditaṁ putra satyaṁ kathaya mā mṛṣā

Translation

I prayed for only one son, but now I see that there are forty-nine. How has this happened? My dear son Indra, if you know, please tell me the truth. Do not try to speak lies.

Synonyms

• ekaḥ: one (single)
• ekaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: eka (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; विशेषण (adjective)

• saṅkalpitaḥ: resolved/decided (as)
• saṅkalpitaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: saṅkalpita (कृदन्त; √kḷp/कल्प् with sam-; past passive participle)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; क्त (PPP) used adjectivally

• putraḥ: son
• putraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• sapta: seven
• sapta: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; here used as numeral adjective (indeclinable-like) qualifying implied plural

• sapta: seven
• sapta: Visheshana (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sapta (संख्या-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् संख्या; numeral adjective

• abhavan: became/were
• abhavan: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √bhū (भू धातु)
• Form: लङ् (Imperfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), बहुवचन

• katham: how?
• katham: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: katham (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नाव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तार्थक अव्यय (conditional particle)

• te: of you/your
• te: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Genitive)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tvad (युष्मद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6th/Genitive) एकवचन; सर्वनाम (pronoun)

• viditam: known
• viditam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: vidita (कृदन्त; √vid/विद्; PPP)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन; क्त (PPP)

• putra: O son
• putra: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: putra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8th/Vocative), एकवचन

• satyam: truth / truly
• satyam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: satya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; here adverbially ‘truly’/object ‘truth’

• kathaya: tell/speak
• kathaya: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: √kath (कथ् धातु)
• Form: लोट् (Imperative), परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन

• mā: do not
• mā: Pratishedha (प्रतिषेध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mā (अव्यय)
• Form: निषेधार्थक अव्यय (prohibitive particle)

• mṛṣā: falsely
• mṛṣā: Kriya-visheshana (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: mṛṣā (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; manner adverb ‘falsely’

Characters & Entities

• Diti
• Indra

FAQs

What does the Srimad Bhagavatam say about the birth of the Maruts?

This verse reflects Diti’s astonishment that the one child she intended became divided into seven and then seven again—pointing to the extraordinary circumstances surrounding the Maruts’ manifestation in Canto 6, Chapter 18.

Why did Diti ask Indra to speak the truth?

Seeing an impossible outcome—one intended son becoming fourteen—Diti directly questions Indra and demands truthful disclosure, emphasizing satya (truthfulness) even amid conflict.

How can the teaching of satya (truthfulness) be applied in modern life?

The verse highlights asking for and speaking the truth plainly in moments of confusion or dispute—choosing honesty over concealment to resolve situations responsibly.