Shloka 7

Adhyaya 19 — Kartavirya Arjuna at Dattatreya’s Ashram: Boons, Sovereignty, and Vaishnava Praise

Sanskrit

अर्जुन उवाच किं मां मोहयसि देव ! स्वां मायां समुपाश्रितः ।

अनघस्त्वं तथैवेयं देवी सर्वभवारणिः ॥

Transliteration

arjuna uvāca kiṃ māṃ mohayasi deva! svāṃ māyāṃ samupāśritaḥ / anaghas tvaṃ tathaivaiyaṃ devī sarvabhavāraṇiḥ

Translation

Dijo Arjuna: ¿Por qué me engañas, oh ser divino, recurriendo a tu propia māyā? Tú eres sin falta—y asimismo esta (mujer) es la Diosa, destructora de todo devenir.

Word by Word

• अर्जुनः: Arjuna
• अर्जुनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्जुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (perfect), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन

• किम्: why/what
• किम्: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (प्रश्न)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: अव्ययवत् प्रश्नार्थक (interrogative used adverbially: ‘why/what’)

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: द्वितीया, एकवचन

• मोहयसि: you delude
• मोहयसि: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: मुह् (धातु)
• Form: लट्-लकार, परस्मैपद, मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन; णिच्-प्रयोग (causative: ‘you delude’)

• देव: O god/lord
• देव: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (vocative), एकवचन

• स्वाम्: your own
• स्वाम्: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘māyā’)

• मायाम्: illusion/power of delusion
• मायाम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: माया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• समुपाश्रितः: having resorted to
• समुपाश्रितः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-उप-आ-श्रि (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त भूतकृदन्त (past participle, active sense), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अर्थ: ‘having resorted to’

• अनघः: sinless/blameless
• अनघः: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनघ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying ‘tvam’)

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तथा: thus/likewise
• तथा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (so/likewise)

• एव: indeed
• एव: Emphasis (निपात)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारणार्थक निपात

• इयम्: this (she)
• इयम्: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• देवी: the goddess
• देवी: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; अप्पोजिशन (in apposition to ‘iyam’)

• सर्वभवारणिः: the source/cause of all becoming
• सर्वभवारणिः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + भव + अरणि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः (सर्वेषां भवानां अरणिः = kindling-stick/cause of all existences)

Speakers

• Kārtavīrya Arjuna to Dattātreya; the ‘woman’ nearby is identified as Devī

Primary Deities

• Dattātreya
• Devī

Shakti Aspects

• Devī as ‘sarvabhavāraṇiḥ’ (all-becoming-destroyer; a fierce/absolute aspect)

Key Themes

• Māyā
• Discernment
• Recognition of Devī
• Non-delusion
• Śakti as ultimate power

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Discernment (viveka) is praised: the king refuses to be trapped by appearances and recognizes the divine reality behind the test, affirming that true purity is compatible with divine play (māyā) when rightly understood.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Ākhyāna with theological emphasis: it teaches tattva (principle) about māyā and Devī within a royal narrative; not a sarga/manvantara catalogue passage.

What is the esoteric significance?

The ‘woman’ as Devī indicates that śakti can appear in alluring forms; the adept must see through surface dualities (pure/impure, sacred/profane) to the underlying divine power—without collapsing into indulgence.