Shloka 11

अक्षद्यूतप्रवेशः — Kali’s Entry and the Initiation of the Dice-Contest

Devanagari script

धर्मात्मानं महात्मानं दैत्यदानवमर्दनम्‌ | महेन्द्र सर्वदेवानां का त॑ न वरयेत्‌ पतिम्‌,'दैत्यों और दानवोंका मर्दन करनेवाले धर्मात्मा महामना सर्वदेवेश्वर महेन्द्रका कौन नारी पतिरूपमें वरण न करेगी?

Transliteration

dharmātmānaṃ mahātmānaṃ daityadānavamardanam | mahendraṃ sarvadevānāṃ kā tāṃ na varayet patim ||

Translation

Bṛhadaśva said: “Who among women would not choose as her husband Mahendra—righteous in soul, great-hearted, the crusher of Daityas and Dānavas, and the sovereign of all the gods?”

Word by Word

• धर्मात्मानम्: righteous-souled
• धर्मात्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महात्मानम्: great-souled
• महात्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दैत्यदानवमर्दनम्: slayer of Daityas and Dānavas
• दैत्यदानवमर्दनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दैत्य-दानव-मर्दन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महेन्द्रम्: Mahendra (Indra)
• महेन्द्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सर्वदेवानाम्: of all the gods
• सर्वदेवानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वदेव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• का: which (woman)? / who (female)?
• का: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• वरयेत्: would choose
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (वरणे)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पतिम्: husband
• पतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

बृहदश्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

• बृहदश्व (Bṛhadaśva)
• महेन्द्र/इन्द्र (Mahendra/Indra)
• दैत्य (Daityas)
• दानव (Dānavas)
• सर्वदेव (the gods collectively)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links worthiness for marital choice with ethical and protective excellence: a ruler who is dharmic, magnanimous, and a defender against destructive forces is naturally regarded as the most desirable partner and leader.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva, while narrating, extols Indra (Mahendra) as the righteous, great-souled king of the gods and conqueror of Daityas and Dānavas, implying that any woman would choose him as husband.