Shloka 48

ययाति–देवयानी संवादः

Yayāti–Devayānī Dialogue and Śukra’s Consent

Devanagari script

सुरद्विषश्चैव जगच्च सर्व- मुपस्थाने संनमन्ति प्रभावात्‌ | अशक्योडसौ जीवयितु द्विजाति: संजीवितो बध्यते चैव भूय:,शुक्राचार्यने कहा--बेटी! बृहस्पतिके पुत्र कच मर गये। मैंने विद्यासे उन्हें कई बार जिलाया, तो भी वे इस प्रकार मार दिये जाते हैं, अब मैं क्या करूँ। देवयानी! तुम इस प्रकार शोक न करो, रोओ मत। तुम-जैसी शक्तिशालिनी स्त्री किसी मरनेवालेके लिये शोक नहीं करती। तुम्हें तो वेद, ब्राह्मण, इन्द्रसहित सब देवता, वसुगण, अश्विनीकुमार, दैत्य तथा सम्पूर्ण जगतके प्राणी मेरे प्रभावसे तीनों संध्याओंके समय मस्तक झुकाकर प्रणाम करते हैं। अब उस ब्राह्मणको जिलाना असम्भव है। यदि जीवित हो जाय, तो फिर दैत्योंद्वारा मार डाला जायगा (अत: उसे जिलानेसे कोई लाभ नहीं है)

Transliteration

śukra uvāca |

suradviṣaś caiva jagac ca sarvam upasthāne saṃnamanti prabhāvāt |

aśakyo 'sau jīvayituṃ dvijātiḥ saṃjīvito badhyate caiva bhūyaḥ ||

Translation

Śukra said: “Both the foes of the gods and the whole world bow down at my presence, out of the power I possess. That twice-born man cannot be restored to life now; even if revived, he will only be slain again.”

Word by Word

सुरद्विषःenemies of the gods (asuras)

चand

एवindeed/just

जगत्the world

चand

सर्वम्all/entire

उपस्थानेat attendance/presence; in the act of waiting upon

संनमन्तिbow down

प्रभावात्because of (my) power/influence

अशक्यःimpossible

असौthat one/he

जीवयितुम्to revive/make live

द्विजातिःthe twice-born (brahmin)

संजीवितःhaving been revived

बध्यतेis bound/killed (is slain)

चand

एवagain/indeed

भूयःagain; once more

Speaker

शुक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śukra (Śukrācārya)

suradviṣaḥ (enemies of the gods / asuras-daityas)

jagat (the world, all beings)

dvijātiḥ (the twice-born brāhmaṇa—contextually Kaca)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power and capability do not automatically justify repeated intervention; if an action only perpetuates a cycle of harm with no stable good outcome, prudence may require restraint. Śukra frames this as recognizing the limits and consequences of even extraordinary spiritual power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śukra addresses Devayānī after Kaca (Bṛhaspati’s son) has been killed repeatedly. He emphasizes that all beings—including the enemies of the gods—bow to him, yet he declares that reviving the brāhmaṇa again is now impossible or pointless, because if revived he will be killed again by the daityas.