Shloka 18

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

Devanagari script

शक्र उवाच तिष्ठेथा मयि नित्य त्वं यथा तद्‌ ब्रूहि मे शुभे । तत्‌ करिष्यामि ते वाक्यमृतं तत्‌ वक्तुमहसि

Transliteration

śakra uvāca | tiṣṭhethā mayi nityaṁ tvaṁ yathā tad brūhi me śubhe | tat kariṣyāmi te vākyam ṛtaṁ tat vaktum arhasi ||

Translation

Śakra (Indra) said: “Auspicious lady, tell me the means by which you may dwell with me always. I shall truly carry out your instruction; you are indeed worthy to declare that truthful counsel to me.”

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'śakra', 'definition': 'Indra

• the lord of the gods'}, {'term': 'uvāca', 'definition': 'said

• spoke'}, {'term': 'tiṣṭhethāḥ', 'definition': 'may you stay/dwell (2nd person singular, optative/benedictive sense)'}, {'term': 'mayi', 'definition': 'in/with me'}, {'term': 'nityam', 'definition': 'always

• continually'}, {'term': 'tvam', 'definition': 'you'}, {'term': 'yathā', 'definition': 'how

• so that'}, {'term': 'tat', 'definition': 'that (means/way)

• that matter'}, {'term': 'brūhi', 'definition': 'tell

• speak (imperative)'}, {'term': 'me', 'definition': 'to me

• my'}, {'term': 'śubhe', 'definition': 'O auspicious one (vocative feminine)'}, {'term': 'kariṣyāmi', 'definition': 'I will do

• I will carry out'}, {'term': 'te', 'definition': 'your

• to you'}, {'term': 'vākyam', 'definition': 'word

• command'}, {'term': 'ṛtam', 'definition': 'truth

• what is right/true (aligned with cosmic order)'}, {'term': 'vaktum', 'definition': 'to speak

• to tell'}, {'term': 'arhasi', 'definition': 'you are worthy/fit

Speaker

शक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• śubhe (an auspicious lady; unnamed in this verse)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds ethical receptivity: even a powerful ruler like Indra seeks right guidance and commits to truthful obedience (ṛta) to worthy counsel, implying that authority should be governed by dharma and truth.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra addresses an auspicious woman and asks her to explain the method by which she can remain with him always; he promises to carry out her instruction faithfully and invites her to speak the truthful means.