Shloka 59

कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः

Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma

Devanagari script

पुरुषादानि सत्त्वानि पक्षिणो5थ मृगास्तथा । नगराणां विहारेषु चैत्येष्वपि च शेरते,मनुष्यका मांस खानेवाले हिंसक जीव तथा पशु-पक्षी नागरिकोंके बगीचों और देवालयोंमें भी शयन करेंगे

Transliteration

puruṣādāni sattvāni pakṣiṇo 'tha mṛgās tathā | nagarāṇāṃ vihāreṣu caityeṣv api ca śerate |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Creatures that prey upon men—birds as well as beasts—will lie down even in the pleasure-gardens of cities and in sacred shrines.

Word by Word

• पुरुषादानि: man-eaters (cannibals)
• पुरुषादानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुषाद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• सत्त्वानि: creatures, beings
• सत्त्वानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• पक्षिणः: birds
• पक्षिणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अथ: and then / also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• मृगाः: wild animals, deer
• मृगाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तथा: likewise, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• नगराणाम्: of cities
• नगराणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• विहारेषु: in pleasure-gardens/parks
• विहारेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विहार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• चैत्येषु: in shrines/temples
• चैत्येषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• शेरते: they lie down / sleep
• Type: Verb
• Root: शी (धातु)
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Atmanepada

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• cities (nagara)
• pleasure-gardens/parks (vihāra)
• shrines/temples (caitya)
• man-eating creatures (puruṣāda)
• birds (pakṣi)
• wild animals (mṛga)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses a stark omen—predators resting in parks and shrines—to show that when dharma declines, boundaries that protect society and sanctity break down. Violence and irreverence spread until even civic and sacred spaces lose their intended purpose.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a disturbing condition/portent: man-eating creatures, along with birds and wild beasts, will be found lying in city gardens and even in caityas (shrines). It conveys an atmosphere of impending calamity and societal destabilization.