Shloka 22

Devanagari script

च्यवन उवाच न चेत्‌ करिष्यसि वचो मयोक्तं बलसूदन । मया प्रमथित: सद्यः सोमं पास्यसि वै मखे

Transliteration

cyavana uvāca | na cet kariṣyasi vaco mayoktaṃ balasūdana | mayā pramathitaḥ sadyaḥ somaṃ pāsyasi vai makhe ||

Translation

Cyavana said: “O Slayer of Bala, if you do not comply with the instruction I have spoken, then—your pride being crushed by me—you will, in this very sacrifice, be made to drink the Soma at once.”

Word by Word

• च्यवनः: Cyavana (the sage)
• च्यवनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: च्यवन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• चेत्: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: चेत्

• करिष्यसि: you will do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Future (Simple Future), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वचः: word; command
• वचः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Instrumental, Singular

• उक्तम्: said; spoken
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Past Passive Participle (क्त), Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• बलसूदन: O slayer of Bala (Krishna)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलसूदन
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Instrumental, Singular

• प्रमथितः: crushed; humbled
• Type: Verb
• Root: मथ् (प्र-)
• Form: Past Passive Participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सद्यः: immediately
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सद्यः

• सोमम्: Soma (soma-juice)
• सोमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पास्यसि: you will drink
• Type: Verb
• Root: पा
• Form: Future (Simple Future), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• मखे: in the sacrifice
• मखे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मख
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

च्यवन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Cyavana
• Indra (Balasūdana)
• Soma
• Makha (sacrifice/ritual)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes that arrogance and refusal to heed legitimate spiritual authority lead to swift humiliation; ethical conduct in ritual and social order requires restraint, respect, and compliance with dharmic counsel.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sage Cyavana confronts Indra (addressed as Balasūdana) and issues a warning: if Indra does not follow Cyavana’s directive, Cyavana will subdue him and compel him—within the sacrificial context—to drink Soma immediately, signaling enforced submission and loss of pride.