Shloka 17

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

Devanagari script

श्रीरुवाच नैव देवो न गन्धर्वो नासुरो न च राक्षस: । यो मामेको विषहितुं शक्त: कश्रित्‌ पुरंदर,लक्ष्मीने कहा--पुरंदर! देवता, गन्धर्व, असुर और राक्षस कोई भी अकेला मेरा भार सहन नहीं कर सकता

Transliteration

Śrīr uvāca: naiva devo na gandharvo nāsuro na ca rākṣasaḥ | yo mām eko viṣahituṁ śaktaḥ kaścit purandara ||

Translation

Śrī (Lakṣmī) said: “O Purandara (Indra), neither any god, nor any Gandharva, nor any Asura, nor any Rākṣasa is capable—alone—of bearing me.”

Word by Word

• श्रीः: Lakṣmī (Śrī)
• श्रीः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निपात)

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (निपात)

• देवः: a god
• देवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: nor/not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निपात)

• गन्धर्वः: a Gandharva
• गन्धर्वः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: nor/not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निपात)

• असुरः: an Asura
• असुरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: nor/not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निपात)

• च: and/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (निपात)

• राक्षसः: a Rākṣasa
• राक्षसः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राक्षस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: —, Accusative, Singular

• एकः: alone/single
• एकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विषहितुम्: to endure/bear
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + सह् (धातु)
• Form: Tumun (infinitive)

• शक्तः: able/capable
• शक्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक्त (प्रातिपदिक; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त from शक्)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कश्चित्: someone/anyone
• कश्चित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुरन्दर: O Purandara (Indra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरन्दर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

शक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrī (Lakṣmī)
• Purandara (Indra)
• Deva
• Gandharva
• Asura
• Rākṣasa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Prosperity (Śrī/Lakṣmī) is not something that any single being can ‘carry’ by sheer power; it rests on sustaining conditions—worthiness, right conduct, and supportive order—implying that sovereignty and fortune require dharma and responsible stewardship rather than ego or brute strength.

What is happening in the narrative?

Lakṣmī addresses Indra (Purandara) and declares that no class of powerful beings—gods, Gandharvas, Asuras, or Rākṣasas—can, by themselves, bear her. The statement frames a reflection on the nature of fortune and rulership: even the mightiest need proper foundations and support to sustain prosperity.