Shloka 48

Adhyāya 283: Varṇa-vṛtti, Nyāya-ārjana, and the Decline-and-Restoration of Dharma (वर्णवृत्तिः न्यायार्जनं च)

Devanagari script

क्रीडन्ति विविधाकाराश्रिक्षिपु: सुरयोषित: । रुद्रक्रोधात्‌ प्रयत्नेन सर्वदेवै: सुरक्षितम्‌

Transliteration

krīḍanti vividhākārāḥ rikṣipuḥ surayoṣitaḥ | rudrakrodhāt prayatnena sarvadevaiḥ surakṣitam ||

Translation

Dakṣa said: “The celestial women, assuming many different forms, sported about and then fled. Yet that place remained carefully guarded by all the gods, with great effort, out of fear of Rudra’s wrath.”

Word by Word

• क्रीडन्ति: they play/sport
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्रीड् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम, बहुवचन

• विविधाकाराः: of various forms
• विविधाकाराः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविधाकार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• ऋक्षिपुः: Ṛkṣipu (a proper name)
• ऋक्षिपुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋक्षिपु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सुरयोषितः: celestial women (apsarases)
• सुरयोषितः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरयोषित् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• रुद्रक्रोधात्: from Rudra's wrath
• रुद्रक्रोधात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रुद्रक्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, पञ्चमी, एकवचन

• प्रयत्नेन: with effort
• प्रयत्नेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रयत्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• सर्वदेवैः: by all the gods
• सर्वदेवैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वदेव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन

• सुरक्षितम्: protected/guarded
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुरक्षित (कृदन्त; √रक्ष्)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

दक्ष उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Dakṣa
• Rudra
• Sarvadevāḥ (all the gods)
• Surayoṣitaḥ (celestial women)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even divine beings act with restraint when confronted with destructive anger; order is maintained through collective responsibility and careful guarding, highlighting the ethical need to control wrath and prevent harm.

What is happening in the narrative?

Dakṣa describes celestial women playing in various forms and then fleeing, while the gods, wary of Rudra’s anger, jointly secure and protect the situation/place with deliberate effort.