Shloka 33

Duryodhana’s Śaraṇāgati and the Pāṇḍavas’ Resolve

Gandharva Encounter

Devanagari script

ऐरावतं समास्थाय शक्रश्नापि सुरै:ः सह

Transliteration

airāvataṁ samāsthāya śakraḥ snāpi suraiḥ saha

Translation

Dijo Mārkaṇḍeya: «Montando a Airāvata, Śakra (Indra) avanzó —junto con los dioses— para realizar el baño ceremonial (abhiṣeka).» En el fluir del relato, la línea evoca la autoridad regia y ritual de Indra: incluso el poder divino actúa conforme a ritos prescritos, subrayando la ética recurrente del Mahābhārata de que la soberanía y el éxito han de alinearse con el dharma y la debida observancia.

Word by Word

• ऐरावतम्: Airāvata (Indra's elephant)
• ऐरावतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐरावत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• समास्थाय: having mounted / having ascended
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-स्था
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अपि: also / even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• सुरैः: with the gods
• सुरैः: Sahakari-Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mārkaṇḍeya
• Airāvata
• Śakra (Indra)
• Suras (gods)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the highest authority (Indra/Śakra) is portrayed as acting through ritual propriety; power is ideally exercised in harmony with dharma and sanctioned observances rather than mere force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya narrates that Indra mounts his elephant Airāvata and, accompanied by the gods, goes to perform a ceremonial bath/ablution, signaling a formal divine action within the episode.