Shloka 40

Adhyāya 71: Kaca and the Saṃjīvanī-vidyā

Devayānī–Śukra Episode

Devanagari script

त्वयैवमुक्ता च कथं समीप- मृषेर्न गच्छेयमहं सुरेन्द्र । रक्षां तु मे चिन्तय देवराज यथा त्वदर्थ रक्षिताहं चरेयम्‌,सुरेन्द्र! आपके इस प्रकार वहाँ जानेका आदेश देनेपर मैं उन महर्षिके समीप कैसे नहीं जाऊँगी? किंतु देवराज! पहले मेरी रक्षाका कोई उपाय सोचिये; जिससे सुरक्षित रहकर मैं आपके कार्यकी सिद्धिके लिये चेष्टा कर सकूँ

Transliteration

kaṇva uvāca |

tvayāivam uktā ca kathaṃ samīpam ṛṣer na gaccheyam ahaṃ surendra | rakṣāṃ tu me cintaya devarāja yathā tvad-arthaṃ rakṣitāhaṃ careyam ||

Translation

Kaṇva dit : «Puisque tu m’as parlé ainsi, ô Indra, comment ne me rendrais-je pas auprès du sage ? Mais, ô roi des dieux, conçois d’abord quelque moyen de me protéger, afin que, gardée saine et sauve, je puisse agir et m’efforcer d’accomplir ton dessein.»

Word by Word

• {'tvayā': 'by you', 'evam': 'thus, in this manner', 'uktā': 'addressed, spoken to (fem.)', 'katham': 'how', 'samīpam': 'near, into the presence', 'ṛṣeḥ': 'of the sage', 'na gaccheyam': 'could I not go? (optative

• rhetorical)', 'aham': 'I', 'surendra': 'O Indra

• lord of the gods', 'rakṣām': 'protection, safeguarding', 'tu': 'but, however', 'me': 'for me, my', 'cintaya': 'consider, devise, think out', 'devarāja': 'O king of the gods', 'yathā': 'so that, in such a way that', 'tvad-artham': 'for your purpose, for your sake', 'rakṣitā': 'protected, kept safe (fem.)', 'careyam': 'I may act/undertake, I may proceed (optative)'}

Speaker

कण्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

• कण्व (Kaṇva)
• सुरेन्द्र/देवराज (Indra)
• ऋषि (a sage/maharṣi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when one agrees to carry out another’s request, ethical action requires safeguarding one’s own integrity and safety; duty (acting for another’s purpose) is framed here as conditional upon proper protection and responsible planning.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kaṇva responds to Indra’s instruction to approach a sage. She expresses willingness to go, but asks Indra to first arrange her protection so she can safely proceed and work toward fulfilling Indra’s objective.