Shloka 14

Devanagari script

विदितो देवदेवेश प्रागेवासि मम प्रभो | नतु न्‍्याय्यं मया दातुं तव शक्र वृथा वरम्‌,'देवदेवेश्वर! प्रभो! आप पधार रहे हैं, यह बात मुझे पहले ही ज्ञात हो गयी थी। पर देवेन्द्र! मैं आपको निष्फल कर दूँ, यह न्यायसंगत नहीं है

Transliteration

vidito devadeveśa prāgevāsi mama prabho | na tu nyāyyaṃ mayā dātuṃ tava śakra vṛthā varam ||

Translation

Dijo Vaiśampāyana: «Oh Señor de los dioses, oh Soberano: ya sabía de antemano que venías. Pero, oh Śakra, no sería justo que yo te concediera un don en vano y te dejara partir sin fruto.»

Word by Word

विदितःknown

देव-देव-ईशO lord of the gods

प्राक्before, earlier

एवindeed, just

असिyou are

ममof me, my

प्रभोO lord

नnot

तुbut

न्याय्यम्proper, just

मयाby me

दातुम्to give

तवof you, your

शक्रO Śakra (Indra)

वृथाin vain, fruitlessly

वरम्boon

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Devadeveśa/Devadeveśvara

Śakra (Indra)

vara (boon)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A boon or favor should not be granted as an empty formality; dharma requires meaningful reciprocity and justice—especially when dealing with a revered guest like Indra.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker acknowledges that Indra’s arrival was anticipated, but insists it would be improper to let Indra’s request end without a real, effective boon—implying a commitment to act justly and not render the divine visit fruitless.