Shloka 12

Sāttvika-vṛtta-kathana (Brahmā on the Conduct of Sattva) — Chapter 38

Devanagari script

ईशित्वं च वशित्वं च लघुत्व॑ं मनसश्न ते । विकुर्वते महात्मानो देवास्त्रिदिवगा इव

Transliteration

īśitvaṃ ca vaśitvaṃ ca laghutvaṃ manasaś ca te | vikurvate mahātmāno devās tridivagā iva ||

Translation

Vāyu bersabda: “Kedaulatan (īśitva), kemampuan menundukkan segala sesuatu (vaśitva), dan kelincahan serta keringanan gerak batin—daya-daya luhur ini bangkit dalam diri para mahātmā, sebagaimana pada para dewa penghuni tridiva.”

Word by Word

ईशित्वम्lordship, sovereignty

चand

वशित्वम्mastery, control

चand

लघुत्वम्lightness (power of becoming light)

मनसःof the mind

चand

तेthey (those)

विकुर्वतेdisplay, manifest, exercise

महात्मानःgreat-souled ones

देवाःgods

त्रिदिवगाःgoing in the threefold heaven; heavenly

इवlike, as

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

व

वायुदेव (Vāyu)

म

महात्मानः (great-souled beings)

द

देवाः (gods)

त

त्रिदिव (the three heavens)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights inner sovereignty: through greatness of soul and disciplined mind, powers such as lordship (īśitva), control (vaśitva), and mental lightness (laghutva) naturally manifest—qualities likened to divine capacities. Ethically, it points to self-mastery as the foundation of higher capability.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu is speaking and describing the extraordinary qualities that appear in mahātmās, comparing them to the gods of the celestial realms. The statement functions as praise and instruction, emphasizing the spiritual stature implied by such powers.