Shloka 1.46.20

दितितपः-शक्रपरिचर्या-गर्भभेदः (Diti’s Penance, Indra’s Service, and the Severing of the Embryo)

Devanagari script

मा रुदो मा रुदश्चेति गर्भं शक्रोऽभ्यभाषत।बिभेद च महातेजा रुदन्तमपि वासव:।।1.46.20।।

Transliteration

na hantavyo na hantavya ity evaṃ ditir abravīt | niṣpapāta tataḥ śakro mātur vacana-gauravāt || 1.46.21 ||

Translation

“He must not be killed, he must not be killed,” Diti said. Then Indra withdrew, honoring his mother’s words.

Context

Highly powerful Indra, even while saying to the crying embryo "Do not weep, Do not weep" severed it.

Characters & Entities

• Diti
• Śakra (Indra)
• Mother-son relationship

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

Respect for a mother’s command and restraint: even a powerful being must stop when corrected by rightful authority.

What is the narrative situation?

Diti awakens, forbids the killing, and Indra desists and exits due to reverence for her words.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Deference to elders/parents (mātṛ-vacana-gaurava) and the capacity to stop (self-restraint).