Shloka 56

Gautama–Śakra Saṃvāda: Karma, Loka-bheda, and the Restoration of the Elephant

Devanagari script

शतक्रतुरुवाच मघवाहं लोकपथं प्रजाना- मन्वागमं परिवादे गजस्य । तस्माद्‌ भवान्‌ प्रणतं मानुशास्तु ब्रवीषि यत्‌ तत्‌ करवाणि सर्वम्‌

Transliteration

Śatakratur uvāca: Maghavāhaṁ lokapathe prajānām anvāgamaṁ parivāde gajasya | tasmād bhavān praṇataṁ mānuśāstu bravīṣi yat tat karavāṇi sarvam ||

Translation

Dijo Śatakratu (Indra): «Yo, Maghavan, he quedado señalado con reproche ante la mirada del pueblo por el asunto del elefante. Por eso me inclino ante ti en sumisión. Instrúyeme en el deber que corresponde a un ser humano: cuanto me digas, lo haré todo».

Word by Word

• शतक्रतुः: Śatakratu (Indra)
• शतक्रतुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतक्रतु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मघवा: Maghavān (Indra)
• मघवा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मघवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• लोकपथम्: the public way / in public view
• लोकपथम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोकपथ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रजानाम्: of the people
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रजा
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• अन्वागमम्: I have come to / I have incurred (i.e., come into)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अन्वागम्
• Form: Perfect, 1, Singular, Parasmaipada

• परिवादे: in blame / in reproach
• परिवादे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिवाद
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• गजस्य: of the elephant
• Type: Noun
• Root: गज
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• तस्मात्: therefore / from that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तस्मात् (तद्)

• भवान्: you (honorific)
• भवान्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रणतम्: bowed down / submissive
• प्रणतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रणत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• अनुशास्तु: may (he/you) instruct / please instruct
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनुशास्
• Form: Imperative, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ब्रवीषि: you say / you tell
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Present, 2, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यत्: whatever / that which
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद्

• तत्: that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तद्

• करवाणि: I shall do / may I do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Optative, 1, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सर्वम्: all (of it)
• सर्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

गौतम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śatakratu (Indra)
• Maghavan (Indra)
• Gaja (elephant)
• Prajāḥ (the people/subjects)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the powerful are bound by dharma: when one’s action brings public blame and moral fault, the proper response is humility, seeking guidance from the righteous, and readiness to perform whatever corrective duty (prāyaścitta/ācāra) is prescribed.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra (Śatakratu/Maghavan) admits that, due to the episode involving the elephant, he has become an object of reproach among people. He bows to the sage and asks for instruction on proper conduct, promising to carry out whatever is commanded.