Shloka 6

समुद्रपानम् (Samudra-pānam) — Maitrāvaruṇi Drains the Ocean; Devas Seek a Means to Refill It

Devanagari script

विष्णुरुवाच विदितं मे सुरा: सर्व प्रजानां क्षयकारणम्‌ । भवतां चापि वक्ष्यामि शृणुध्वं विगतज्वरा:,भगवान्‌ विष्णु बोले--देवताओ! प्रजाके विनाशका जो कारण उपस्थित हुआ है वह सब मुझे ज्ञात है। मैं तुमलोगोंको भी बता रहा हूँ; निश्चिन्‍्त होकर सुनो

Transliteration

viṣṇur uvāca—viditaṃ me surāḥ sarvaṃ prajānāṃ kṣaya-kāraṇam | bhavatāṃ cāpi vakṣyāmi śṛṇudhvaṃ vigata-jvarāḥ ||

Translation

Viṣṇu said: “O gods, I fully know the cause that has arisen for the destruction of living beings. I shall also explain it to you; listen with minds free from agitation and fear.”

Word by Word

• {'viṣṇuḥ uvāca': 'Viṣṇu said', 'viditam': 'known, understood', 'me': 'to me, by me', 'surāḥ': 'the gods, deities', 'sarvam': 'all, entirely', 'prajānām': 'of creatures/subjects/people (genitive plural)', 'kṣaya-kāraṇam': 'cause of destruction/decline', 'bhavatām': 'of you (honorific plural)', 'ca api': 'and also', 'vakṣyāmi': 'I will speak/tell/explain', 'śṛṇudhvaṃ': 'listen (imperative, plural)', 'vigata-jvarāḥ': 'free from fever

Speaker

लोगश उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Viṣṇu
• Surāḥ (Devas)
• Prajāḥ (creatures/subjects)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

In times of collective crisis, clarity and steadiness are prerequisites for right understanding: Viṣṇu urges the gods to listen without agitation, implying that ethical and effective action begins with calm discernment and truthful diagnosis of causes.

What is happening in the narrative?

Viṣṇu addresses the assembled gods, stating that he already knows the reason behind the impending destruction of creatures and promising to explain it to them, asking them to listen with minds free from distress.