Shloka 3

Devanagari script

वसूनां वा भवानेको रुद्राणामथवा भवान्‌ | अथवा मरुतां श्रेष्ठो वज्नी वा त्रिदशेश्वर:,आप वसुओंमेंसे, रुद्रोमेंसे अथवा मरुदगणोंमेंसे कोई एक श्रेष्ठ पुरुष तो नहीं हैं? अथवा आप स्वयं वजधारी देवराज इन्द्र ही हैं?

Transliteration

vasūnāṃ vā bhavān eko rudrāṇām athavā bhavān | athavā marutāṃ śreṣṭho vajrī vā tridaśeśvaraḥ ||

Translation

ユディシュティラは畏敬の念をもって驚きつつ問うた。「あなたはヴァスたちの一柱なのか、あるいはルドラたちの一柱なのか。もしくはマルットの中で最も優れた者なのか。それともあなたこそ金剛杵を執る者—三十三神の主インドラその人なのか。」

Word by Word

वसूनाम्of the Vasus

वाor

भवान्you (honorific)

एकःone

रुद्राणाम्of the Rudras

अथor else / then

वाor

भवान्you (honorific)

अथवाor perhaps

मरुताम्of the Maruts

श्रेष्ठःthe best, foremost

वज्नीthe wielder of the thunderbolt

वाor

त्रिदशेश्वरःlord of the thirty (gods), i.e., Indra

Speaker

युधिछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Vasus

Rudras

Maruts

Indra (Vajrī, Tridaśeśvara)

Vajra (thunderbolt)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic humility: when confronted with extraordinary presence, one should respond with respect and discernment, seeking the true identity so that one’s speech and actions remain appropriate and righteous.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira addresses an awe-inspiring figure and, struck by the person’s majesty, wonders whether he is a divine being—one of the Vasus, Rudras, or Maruts—or even Indra himself, the thunderbolt-wielding king of the gods.