Shloka 12

प्रलय-प्रक्रिया (Pralaya Process) — Guṇa-Withdrawal and Pratisaṃcara

Devanagari script

श्रीरवाच सत्ये स्थितास्मि दाने च व्रते तपसि चैव हि । पराक्रमे च धर्मे च पराचीनस्ततो बलि:

Transliteration

śrīr uvāca satye sthitāsmi dāne ca vrate tapasi caiva hi | parākrame ca dharme ca parācīnas tato baliḥ ||

Translation

Śrī (Lakṣmī) said: “I abide in truth, in generosity, in sacred vows, and indeed in austerity; I dwell also in valor and in dharma. Therefore Bali has turned away from these virtues, and so I have withdrawn from him.”

Word by Word

• श्रीः: Lakshmi / Prosperity (as speaker)
• श्रीः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

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

• सत्ये: in truth
• सत्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• स्थितास्मि: I abide / I am established
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) + स्थित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Present (लट्) with participial predicate, First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दाने: in giving/charity
• दाने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

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

• व्रते: in vow/observance
• व्रते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• तपसि: in austerity
• तपसि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

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

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• हि: for/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• पराक्रमे: in valor/heroic effort
• पराक्रमे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पराक्रम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

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

• धर्मे: in dharma/righteousness
• धर्मे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

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

• पराचीनः: turned away / averse
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पराचीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ततः: therefore/from that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• बलिः: Bali (the king)
• बलिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

शक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• Bali

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Prosperity (Śrī/Lakṣmī) is portrayed as inseparable from ethical and disciplined virtues—truth, generosity, vows, austerity, valor, and dharma. When a ruler turns away from these foundations, fortune departs, implying that lasting success depends on moral conduct rather than mere power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śrī (Lakṣmī) speaks, explaining where she ‘dwells’—in specific virtues. By stating that Bali has become averse to those virtues, she gives the reason for her withdrawal from him, framing a moral causality between a king’s conduct and the presence of prosperity.