Shloka 18

Devanagari script

त॑ स्तम्भयित्वा च्यवनो जुहुवे मन्त्रतो5नलम्‌ । कृत्यार्थी सुमहातेजा देवं हिंसितुमुद्यत:,इस प्रकार उनकी भुजा स्तंभित करके महातेजस्वी च्यवन ऋषिने मन्त्रोच्चारणपूर्वक अग्निमें आहुति दी। वे देवराज इन्द्रको मार डालनेके लिये उद्यत होकर कृत्या उत्पन्न करना चाहते थे

Transliteration

tān stambhayitvā cyavano juhuve mantrato 'nalam | kṛtyārthī sumahātejā devaṃ hiṃsitum udyataḥ ||

Translation

Having immobilized them, the mighty sage Cyavana poured oblations into the fire with the prescribed mantras. Burning with the intent to accomplish a hostile rite, he was preparing to bring forth a kṛtyā—set on harming the god (Indra). The episode highlights the grave ethical tension in Vedic power: ritual efficacy can be turned toward protection or toward injury, and the will to harm a deity marks a dangerous escalation of anger and pride.

Word by Word

तत्that (act/thing)

स्तम्भयित्वाhaving immobilized/stopped

च्यवनःCyavana (sage)

जुहुवेoffered (as oblation)

मन्त्रतःwith/through mantras

अनलम्fire (Agni)

कृत्यार्थीdesiring to produce a kṛtyā (magical rite/fiend)

सुमहातेजाःof very great splendor

देवम्the god (Indra)

हिंसितुम्to harm/kill

उद्यतःready/intent

Speaker

लोगश उवाच

Characters & Entities

Cyavana

Agni (fire)

Indra (implied as devarāja)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores that spiritual and ritual power (mantra, yajña, tapas) is ethically charged: when driven by hostility, it can become destructive and adharma-leaning, even when executed with perfect ritual correctness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Cyavana restrains certain persons (“them”), then performs a mantra-guided fire-offering, intending to generate a kṛtyā (a hostile, personified rite) with the aim of harming Indra.