Shloka 17

Yuga-Lakṣaṇa and Varṣa-Pramāṇa Inquiry (युगलक्षण–वर्षप्रमाण–प्रश्न)

Devanagari script

ततो नित्यमुपादत्ते वासव: परमं जलम्‌ । ततो वर्ष प्रभवति वर्षकाले जनेश्वर,जनेश्वर! इन्द्र वहींसे सदा उत्तम जल ग्रहण करते हैं। इसीलिये वर्षाकालमें वे यथेष्ट जल बरसानेमें समर्थ होते हैं

Transliteration

tato nityam upādatte vāsavaḥ paramaṃ jalam | tato varṣaḥ prabhavati varṣakāle janeśvara ||

Translation

Dijo Sañjaya: «Por ello Vāsava (Indra) extrae sin cesar las aguas más puras; y de ahí, oh señor de los hombres, nace la lluvia en la estación de las lluvias. Así, al sostener este ciclo cósmico, Indra puede derramar aguaceros abundantes en el tiempo debido».

Word by Word

ततःfrom there/thereupon

नित्यम्always

उपादत्तेtakes/receives

वासवःVāsava (Indra)

परमम्supreme/excellent

जलम्water

ततःthereupon/from that

वर्षःrain

प्रभवतिarises/comes forth

वर्षकालेin the rainy season

जनेश्वरO lord of men

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Sañjaya

Vāsava (Indra)

jalam (water)

varṣa (rain)

varṣakāla (rainy season)

janeśvara (the king addressed, i.e., Dhṛtarāṣṭra)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights a dharmic vision of cosmic interdependence: natural prosperity (rain) arises from an ordered cycle upheld by divine governance (Indra). It implies that stability and welfare depend on maintaining rightful order and timely action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya explains to the king that Indra continually gathers the best waters, and from this process rainfall manifests during the rainy season—describing how seasonal rains become possible through Indra’s role in the cosmic cycle.