Mahabharata — Ashvamedhika Parva, Shloka 20

Uttanka’s Viśvarūpa Request and the ‘Uttanka Clouds’ Boon (उत्तङ्क-विष्वरूप-दर्शनम्)

Devanagari script

मानुष्ये वर्तमाने तु कृपणं याचिता मया । न च ते जातसम्मोहा वचो<गृह्नन्त मे हितम्‌

Transliteration

mānuṣye vartamāne tu kṛpaṇaṃ yācitā mayā | na ca te jātasammoḥā vaco gṛhṇanti me hitam ||

Translation

ព្រោះឥឡូវនេះខ្ញុំកំពុងដំណើរនៅក្នុងស្ថានភាពមនុស្ស ខ្ញុំមិនបានប្រើអំណាចទេវភាពប្រឆាំងនឹងកៅរវទេ; ផ្ទុយទៅវិញ ខ្ញុំបានសុំសន្តិភាពដោយទន់ភ្លន់ជាមុន។ ប៉ុន្តែពួកគេដោយសារតែភាន់ច្រឡំ មិនទទួលយកពាក្យដែលមានប្រយោជន៍របស់ខ្ញុំឡើយ។

Word by Word

• {'mānuṣye': 'in the human state/among humans

• in human embodiment', 'vartamāne': 'being present, existing, moving about', 'tu': 'but, indeed', 'kṛpaṇam': 'piteously, humbly

• in a supplicatory manner', 'yācitā': 'was begged/entreated (feminine past passive participle used impersonally here)', 'mayā': 'by me', 'na ca': 'and not

• nor', 'te': 'they (those people)', 'jāta-sammoḥāḥ': 'having become deluded

• overcome by confusion', 'vacaḥ': 'words, speech, counsel', 'gṛhṇanti': 'accept, take up, heed', 'me': 'my', 'hitam': 'beneficial, for their good

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyudeva (Wind-god)
• Kauravas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even one who has power should first act with restraint and seek a righteous, peaceful resolution; refusal to heed beneficial counsel is a sign of moha (delusion) and leads to ruin.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva explains that, while operating within a human context, he chose not to use divine force against the Kauravas and instead pleaded for a settlement; the Kauravas, deluded, rejected his well-intentioned advice.