Shloka 60

Gautama–Śakra Saṃvāda: Karma, Loka-bheda, and the Restoration of the Elephant

Devanagari script

शतक्रतुरुवाच येषां वेदा निहिता वै गुहायां मनीषिणां सत्यवतां महात्मनाम्‌ | तेषां त्वयैकेन महात्मनास्मि वृद्धस्तस्मात्‌ प्रीतिमांस्तेडहमद्य

Transliteration

śatakratur uvāca yeṣāṃ vedā nihitā vai guhāyāṃ manīṣiṇāṃ satyavatāṃ mahātmanām | teṣāṃ tvayā ekena mahātmanā asmi vṛddhas tasmāt prītimāṃs te ’ham adya ||

Translation

Śatakratu (Indra) said: “Among those truth-speaking, discerning great souls in whose heart-cave the Vedas are truly enshrined, you are foremost. By the benevolent concern of you alone, O great one, I have prospered; therefore today I am filled with affection for you.”

Word by Word

• शतक्रतुः: Śatakratu (Indra)
• शतक्रतुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतक्रतु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3, Singular

• येषाम्: of whom
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• वेदाः: Vedas
• वेदाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• निहिताः: placed/enshrined
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-धा
• Form: Past passive participle, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• गुहायाम्: in the cave (of the heart)
• गुहायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुहा
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• मनीषिणाम्: of the wise
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनीषिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• सत्यवताम्: of the truthful
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्यवत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• महात्मनाम्: of the great-souled ones
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• तेषाम्: of them
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

• एकेन: by one (alone)
• एकेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• महात्मना: by the great-souled one
• महात्मना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अस्मि: I am
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present, 1, Singular

• वृद्धः: increased/prospered
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृद्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (तद्)

• प्रीतिमान्: pleased
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रीतिमत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Dative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• अद्य: today/now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य

Speaker

गौतम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śatakratu (Indra)
• Vedas
• guhā (heart-cave)
• mahātmā (great-souled sage, addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True greatness is marked by truthfulness and inner assimilation of sacred knowledge: the Vedas are portrayed as ‘enshrined in the heart-cave’ of wise, truthful great souls. Such integrity and inward realization naturally command reverence, even from Indra.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra (Śatakratu) addresses a revered great soul, praising him as foremost among sages who embody the Vedas inwardly, and expresses gratitude and affection, stating that he has prospered through that sage’s benevolent intention.