Shloka 4
समुद्रवर्णनम् (Description of the Ocean) — Kadrū and Vinatā approach the sea
ततः पिबत्सु तत्काल देवेष्वमृतमीप्सितम् । राहुविबुधरूपेण दानव: प्रापिबत् तदा,जिस समय देवता उस अभीष्ट अमृतका पान कर रहे थे, ठीक उसी समय राहु नामक दानवने देवतारूपसे आकर अमृत पीना आरम्भ किया
tataḥ pibatṣu tatkāla deveṣv amṛtam īpsitam | rāhu-vibudha-rūpeṇa dānavaḥ prāpibat tadā ||
Then, at that very moment when the gods were drinking the long-desired nectar of immortality, the Dānava named Rāhu, assuming the form of a god, began to drink it as well—an act of deceit driven by craving for what was not rightfully his.
शौनक उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how intense craving for power or immortality can lead to deception (adharma). It implicitly contrasts rightful participation (the devas receiving amṛta) with wrongful appropriation through disguise, underscoring that unethical means corrupt even a coveted goal.
As the gods begin drinking the amṛta, Rāhu—a Dānava—takes on the appearance of a god and starts drinking it too, attempting to secure immortality by infiltrating the divine assembly.