Shloka 53

Devanagari script

“देवराज इन्द्र शत्रुओंका दमन करनेके लिये गुप्तरूपसे निषधदेशमें गये और गिरिप्रस्थाश्रममें छिपे रहकर उन्होंने अपना कार्य सिद्ध किया

Transliteration

devarāja indraḥ śatrūṇāṃ damanaṃ kartum guptarūpeṇa niṣadhadeśaṃ gataḥ | giriprasthāśrame ca channaḥ san svam arthaṃ siddhavān |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: To subdue his enemies, the king of the gods, Indra, went in disguise to the land of Niṣadha. Remaining concealed in the hermitage at Giriprastha, he successfully accomplished his intended purpose—showing that even divine power may employ secrecy and strategy when the aim is the restraint of hostile forces rather than mere display of might.

Word by Word

• देवराजः: the king of gods
• देवराजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवराज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इन्द्रः: Indra
• इन्द्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• शत्रूणाम्: of enemies
• शत्रूणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• दमनाय: for subduing
• दमनाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दमन
• Form: Neuter, Dative, Singular

• गुप्तरूपेण: in a concealed form
• गुप्तरूपेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुप्तरूप
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• निषधदेशम्: to the Niṣadha region
• निषधदेशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निषधदेश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• गतः: went
• गतः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Past (perfective), Singular, Masculine, Nominative

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• गिरिप्रस्थाश्रमे: in the hermitage at Giriprastha
• गिरिप्रस्थाश्रमे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गिरिप्रस्थाश्रम
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• छन्नः: hidden
• छन्नः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: छद्
• Form: Past (perfective), Singular, Masculine, Nominative

• रहन्: staying/remaining
• रहन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: रह्
• Form: Present (participle), Singular, Masculine, Nominative

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्वम्: his own
• स्वम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कार्यम्: task/purpose
• कार्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सिद्धवान्: accomplished/succeeded
• सिद्धवान्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सिध्
• Form: Past (perfective), Singular, Masculine, Nominative

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Indra
• Niṣadha (deśa)
• Giriprastha-āśrama

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power aligned with dharma may act through restraint and discretion; secrecy and strategy can be ethically justified when used to curb harmful opposition rather than for vanity or cruelty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Indra, seeking to suppress enemies, travels incognito to Niṣadha and stays hidden at the Giriprastha hermitage until he completes his objective.