Shloka 37
Arjuna meets the Lokapālas, is tested by Indra, and is led to Amarāvatī for astra-śikṣā
Indraloka-gamana
ततः स्वेदक्लमौ तन््द्री ग्लानिश्व भजते नरान् । प्राणिभि: सतत स्वप्नो हाभीक्षणं च निषेव्यते,'शीतकी सृष्टि करनेकी इच्छासे ही सूर्यदेव दक्षिण दिशाका आश्रय लेते हैं, इसलिये समस्त प्राणियोंपर शीतकालका प्रभाव पड़ने लगता है। दक्षिणायनसे निवृत्त होनेपर वे भगवान् सूर्य स्थावर-जंगम सभी प्राणियोंका तेज अपने तेजसे हर लेते हैं, यही कारण है कि मनुष्योंको पसीना, थकावट, आलस्य और ग्लानिका अनुभव होता है तथा प्राणी सदा निद्राका ही बार-बार सेवन करते हैं। इस प्रकार इस अन्तरिक्ष मार्गको आवृत करके समस्त प्रजाकी पुष्टि करते हुए भगवान् सूर्य पुन: वर्षाकी सृष्टि करते हैं
tataḥ svedaklamau tandrī glāniś ca bhajate narān | prāṇibhiḥ satataṃ svapno hy abhīkṣṇaṃ ca niṣevyate ||
Vaiśampāyana said: “Thereafter, sweating and fatigue, drowsiness and languor come to afflict human beings; and among living creatures, sleep is continually—and repeatedly—resorted to.” In context, the verse explains the seasonal weakening of vitality as the sun’s course shifts, portraying how cosmic rhythms govern bodily energy and behavior.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how beings are conditioned by ṛtu (season) and kāla (time): when cosmic conditions shift, vitality declines and lethargy and sleep increase. Ethically, it encourages recognizing natural limits and aligning conduct with time and circumstance rather than forcing the body against the order of nature.
Vaiśampāyana is describing the observable effects on humans and other creatures as the sun’s course changes (as elaborated in the surrounding passage): sweating, fatigue, drowsiness, and languor arise, and creatures repeatedly fall into sleep.