Shloka 84

Devanagari script

क्षितावटसि राजेन्द्र अन्तरिक्षे चराम्यहम्‌ आवयोरन्तरं पश्य मेरुसर्षपयोरिव,राजेन्द्र! आप केवल पृथ्वीपर घूमते हैं, किंतु मैं आकाशमें भी चल सकती हूँ। तनिक ध्यानसे देखिये, मुझमें और आपमें सुमेरु पर्वत और सरसोंका-सा अन्तर है

Transliteration

kṣitāvaṭasi rājendra antarīkṣe carāmy aham | āvayor antaraṃ paśya meru-sarṣapayor iva ||

Translation

Duṣyanta said: “O king, you move upon the earth, but I can move even through the sky. Look carefully at the difference between us—it is like the gulf between Mount Meru and a mustard seed.”

Word by Word

क्षितौon the earth

अटसिyou roam

राजेन्द्रO best of kings

अन्तरिक्षेin the sky/space

चरामिI move/roam

अहम्I

आवयोःof us two (between you and me)

अन्तरम्difference, interval

पश्यsee, behold

मेरुof Meru (mountain)

सर्षपयोःof (two) mustard seeds / of mustard-seed (as a measure of smallness)

इवlike, as if

राजेन्द्रO best of kings

Speaker

दुष्यन्त उवाच

Characters & Entities

Duṣyanta

rājendra (addressed king)

antarīkṣa (sky)

kṣitā (earth)

Meru (Mount Meru)

sarṣapa (mustard seed)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how pride and claims of superiority can be expressed through striking similes; ethically, it invites reflection on humility and the responsible use of power and speech, especially in relationships involving status and authority.

What is happening in the narrative?

Duṣyanta addresses a king and asserts a dramatic superiority: while the other is confined to moving on earth, he claims the ability to move through the sky, portraying the difference between them as immense—like Mount Meru compared to a tiny mustard seed.