Shloka 16

Devanagari script

शुचि: स गुणवानासीन्मरुत्त: पृथिवीपति: । यतमानो<पि यं शक्रो न विशेषयति सम ह,पृथ्वीपति मरुत्त पवित्र एवं गुणवान्‌ थे। इन्द्र उनसे बढ़नेके लिये सदा प्रयत्न करते थे तो भी कभी बढ़ नहीं पाते थे

Transliteration

śuciḥ sa guṇavān āsīn maruttaḥ pṛthivīpatiḥ | yatamāno 'pi yaṃ śakro na viśeṣayati sma ha ||

Translation

Vyāsa said: “That king Marutta, lord of the earth, was pure and richly endowed with virtues. Even though Indra (Śakra) strove to surpass him, he could never outshine him.” The verse highlights moral excellence as a form of true supremacy—so compelling that even the king of the gods cannot eclipse it.

Word by Word

शुचिःpure

सःhe

गुणवान्virtuous, possessing qualities

आसीत्was

मरुत्तःMarutta (proper name)

पृथिवीपतिःlord of the earth, king

यतमानःstriving, making effort

अपिeven, although

यम्whom

शक्रःŚakra (Indra)

नnot

विशेषयतिsurpasses, excels (makes a distinction over)

समम्equally, on a par

हindeed (emphatic particle)

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

Marutta

Śakra (Indra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True greatness is grounded in purity and virtue; ethical excellence can be so eminent that even divine power and rivalry cannot eclipse it.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa describes King Marutta as exceptionally pure and virtuous, noting that Indra himself tried to surpass Marutta’s eminence but failed to do so.