Shloka 5

Plakṣaprasravaṇa–Kārapacana tīrtha-varṇana and Nārada’s war briefing (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 53)

Devanagari script

इन्द्र वाच किमिदं वर्तते राजन्‌ प्रयत्नेन परेण च । राजर्षे किमभिप्रेतं येनेयं कृष्यते क्षिति:

Transliteration

indra uvāca: kim idaṃ vartate rājan prayatnena pareṇa ca | rājarṣe kim abhipretaṃ yeneyaṃ kṛṣyate kṣitiḥ ||

Translation

Indra said: “O King, what is taking place here with such extraordinary effort? O royal sage, what is it that you intend—because of which this earth is being ploughed?”

Word by Word

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• वर्तते: is happening / is going on
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• परेण: great / intense
• परेण: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• राजर्षे: O royal sage
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजर्षि
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• किम्: what
• किम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अभिप्रेतम्: intended / desired
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-प्र-इ (अभिप्रे)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• येन: by which / because of which
• येन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• इयम्: this
• इयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• कृष्यते: is being ploughed
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृष्
• Form: Present, Passive, Third, Singular

• क्षितिः: earth / ground
• क्षितिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षिति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Rājan (King)
• Rājarṣi (royal sage)
• Kṣiti (Earth)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds ethical scrutiny of action: intense effort should be guided by a clear, worthy intention. Indra’s questioning models dharmic evaluation—asking not only what is being done, but why it is being done.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra addresses a king (also styled a rājarṣi) and, seeing the earth being ploughed with great exertion, asks the reason and intended goal behind this unusual undertaking.