Shloka 276

सुरभि–इन्द्रसंवादः

Surabhi–Indra Dialogue as a Governance Exemplar

Devanagari script

कुरु मे वचन राजन्‌ मा मन्युवशमन्वगा: । राजन! तुम मेरी बात मानो; क्रोधके वशमें न होओ

Transliteration

kuru me vacana rājan mā manyuvaśam anvagāḥ |

Translation

Maitreya said: “O King, follow my counsel; do not let yourself be carried away by anger.”

Word by Word

• कुरु: do (you); perform
• कुरु: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (करणे)
• Form: लोट् (imperative), 2, singular, परस्मैपदम्

• मे: of me / my
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, genitive, singular

• वचनम्: word; instruction
• वचनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• मा: do not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा
• Form: prohibitive particle (with imperative/optative)

• मन्युवशम्: under the control of anger
• मन्युवशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्युवश
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• अन्वगाः: you went/followed; (with मा) do not go under / do not submit to
• अन्वगाः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-गम् (गत्यर्थे)
• Form: लुङ् (aorist, prohibitive sense with मा), 2, singular, परस्मैपदम्

Speaker

मैत्रेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Maitreya
• King (rājan)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler should practice self-mastery: wise counsel must be followed, and anger (manyu) must not be allowed to dominate one’s judgment, since wrath leads to adharma and harmful action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Maitreya addresses a king directly, urging him to accept guidance and restrain his temper—an admonition that frames the immediate situation as one requiring calm discernment rather than impulsive retaliation.