Shloka 22

सुरभि–इन्द्रसंवादः

Surabhi–Indra Dialogue as a Governance Exemplar

Devanagari script

सत्यव्रतधरा: सर्वे सर्वे पुरुषमानिन: । हन्तारो देवशत्रूणां रक्षमां कामरूपिणाम्‌

Transliteration

satyavratadharāḥ sarve sarve puruṣamāninaḥ | hantāro devaśatrūṇāṃ rakṣasāṃ kāmarūpiṇām ||

Translation

Dijo Maitreya: «Todos ellos se mantienen firmes en votos de verdad, y cada cual se tiene por un hombre de honor. Son los matadores de los enemigos de los dioses—esos Rākṣasas mudables de forma—y, al destruir fuerzas que prosperan en el engaño y la depredación, protegen el orden divino».

Word by Word

सत्यव्रतधराःbearing true vows / steadfast in truth-vows

सर्वेall

पुरुषमानिनःproud of manliness / considering themselves men of valor

हन्तारःslayers

देवशत्रूणाम्of the enemies of the gods

रक्षमाम्of the rākṣasas (demons)

कामरूपिणाम्of those who can assume forms at will

Speaker

मैत्रेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Maitreya

Devas

Rakṣasas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links ethical integrity (truth-vows and honorable self-restraint) with rightful strength: true manliness is portrayed not as mere aggression but as the capacity to uphold dharma by opposing deceptive, predatory forces.

What is happening in the narrative?

Maitreya characterizes a group as truth-bound and honor-driven warriors who destroy the gods’ enemies—shape-shifting Rākṣasas—framing their actions as a defense of the divine and moral order.