Shloka 4

Agastya’s Encounter with Ilvala and Vātāpi; Dāna, Progeny, and the Renown of Agastya-Āśrama

Devanagari script

ततः स भार्यामभ्येत्य प्रोवाच पृथिवीपति: । महर्षिवीर्यवानेष क्रुद्ध: शापाग्निना दहेत्‌,तब विदर्भनरेश अपनी पत्नीके पास जाकर बोले--'प्रिये! ये महर्षि अगस्त्य बड़े शक्तिशाली हैं। यदि कुपित हों तो हमें शापकी अग्निसे भस्म कर सकते हैं"

Transliteration

tataḥ sa bhāryām abhyetya provāca pṛthivīpatiḥ | maharṣir vīryavān eṣa kruddhaḥ śāpāgninā dahet ||

Translation

Then the king approached his wife and said: “Beloved, this great seer Agastya is mighty in spiritual power. If he becomes angry, he could burn us to ashes with the fire of his curse.”

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

सःhe

भार्याम्wife

अभ्येत्यhaving approached

प्रोवाचsaid, spoke

पृथिवीपतिःthe lord of the earth (king)

महर्षिgreat sage

वीर्यवान्powerful, possessed of energy

एषःthis (man)

क्रुद्धःangry

शापाग्निनाby the fire of a curse

दहेत्might burn, could burn

Speaker

लोगश उवाच

Characters & Entities

pṛthivīpati (the king)

bhāryā (the king’s wife)

maharṣi (implied: Agastya)

śāpāgni (curse-fire)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Rulers must act with restraint and respect toward sages; ascetic power (tapas) is depicted as morally consequential, and angered seers can bring ruin through a curse—so ethical conduct and humility are essential.

What is happening in the narrative?

A king goes to his wife and cautions her that the great seer (contextually Agastya) is extremely powerful; if provoked, he could destroy them with the fiery force of a curse.