Shloka 193

Guṇa-vibhāga and Prāṇa–Agni–Yoga Upadeśa (गुणविभाग तथा प्राण-अग्नि-योगोपदेश)

Devanagari script

त्रिदशानां विनाशाय लोकानां चापि पार्थिव । महाराज! उसका नाश करके ही आपको वनमें जाना चाहिये। भूपाल! वह सम्पूर्ण लोकों और देवताओंके विनाशके लिये कठोर तपस्याका आश्रय लेकर (पृथ्वीमें) शयन करता है

Transliteration

Uttaṅka uvāca: tridaśānāṁ vināśāya lokānāṁ cāpi pārthiva | mahārāja! asya nāśaṁ kṛtvāiva tvayā vanaṁ gantavyam | bhūpāla! sa samasta-lokānāṁ devatānāṁ ca vināśārthaṁ kaṭhora-tapasā āśritya pṛthivyāṁ śete |

Translation

Uttaṅka said: “O king, this one lies in the earth, having taken refuge in severe austerities, intent on the destruction of the gods and the worlds. Therefore, O great king, you should go to the forest only after you have destroyed him.”

Word by Word

त्रिदशानाम्of the gods (thirty-three)

विनाशायfor destruction

लोकानाम्of the worlds/people

चand

अपिalso/even

पार्थिवO king

Speaker

उत्तड़क उवाच

Characters & Entities

Uttaṅka

King (pārthiva/bhūpāla/mahārāja)

Tridaśa (the gods/devas)

Lokāḥ (the worlds)

Vana (forest)

Pṛthivī (earth)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king’s dharma is protective: personal vows or withdrawal (going to the forest) should not be pursued while a grave threat to the gods and the worlds remains. Ethical governance requires first neutralizing forces that endanger cosmic and social order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Uttaṅka warns the king that a dangerous figure is performing severe austerities while lying within the earth, aiming at the destruction of devas and all worlds. He urges the king to destroy this threat before departing for the forest.