Shloka 21

Devanagari script

का शक्तिर्मम देवेश प्रजा: सत्रष्ठु नमो<स्तु ते । अप्रज्ञावानहं देव विधत्स्व यदनन्तरम्‌,“देवेश्वर! मुझमें प्रजाकी सृष्टि करनेकी क्या शक्ति है? आपको नमस्कार है। देव! मैं सृष्टिविषयक बुद्धिसे सर्वथा रहित हँ--यह जानकर अब आपको जो उचित जान पड़े, वह कीजिये”

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca: kā śaktir mama deveśa prajāḥ sraṣṭuṁ namo 'stu te | aprajñāvān ahaṁ deva vidhatsva yad anantaram ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O Lord of the gods, what power do I have to create living beings? Salutations to you. O God, I am wholly without the wisdom required for creation; knowing this, do now whatever you deem proper as the next step.”

Word by Word

काwhat (kind of)

शक्तिःpower, capability

ममof me, my

देवेशO lord of gods

प्रजाःcreatures, subjects

स्रष्टुम्to create

नमःsalutation

अस्तुlet it be

तेto you

अप्रज्ञावान्unintelligent, lacking understanding

अहम्I

देवO god

विधत्स्वordain, arrange, do

यत्that which, whatever

अनन्तरम्next, subsequent (what follows)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Deveśa (Lord of the gods)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches humility and surrender: when one lacks the competence for a task as weighty as creation or governance, one should acknowledge limitation, offer reverence, and seek guidance from the rightful higher authority who upholds cosmic order.

What is happening in the narrative?

A speaker addresses the supreme divine ‘Lord of the gods,’ confessing inability to create beings due to lack of creative discernment, and requests the deity to determine and carry out the proper next action.