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Shloka 17

Indra Slays Namuci—The Limits of Power and the Triumph of Divine Strategy

तस्य तत् पूजयन् कर्म यन्तुर्दानवसत्तम: । शूलेन ज्वलता तं तु स्मयमानोऽहनन्मृधे ॥ १७ ॥

tasya tat pūjayan karma yantur dānava-sattamaḥ śūlena jvalatā taṁ tu smayamāno ’hanan mṛdhe

മാതലിയുടെ സേവയെ പ്രശംസിച്ച് ദാനവശ്രേഷ്ഠൻ ജംഭാസുരൻ പുഞ്ചിരിച്ചു; എങ്കിലും യുദ്ധത്തിൽ ജ്വലിക്കുന്ന ത്രിശൂലത്തോടെ മാതലിയെ പ്രഹരിച്ചു।

तस्यof him
तस्य:
सम्बन्ध (षष्ठी/Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन (Singular), पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसकलिङ्ग (contextual pronoun)
तत्that (deed)
तत्:
कर्म (Karma/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formद्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन (Singular), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (Neuter)
पूजयन्honouring, praising
पूजयन्:
कर्ता (Karta/Agent)
TypeVerb
Rootपूज् (धातु)
Formवर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present active participle/शतृ), परस्मैपदी, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; क्रियाविशेषणभावे (concomitant action)
कर्मact, deed
कर्म:
कर्म (Karma/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formद्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग
यन्तुःof the charioteer/driver
यन्तुः:
सम्बन्ध (Genitive relation)
TypeNoun
Rootयन्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी (6th/Genitive), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग
दानवसत्तमःthe best of the Dānavas
दानवसत्तमः:
कर्ता (Karta/Subject)
TypeNoun
Rootदानव + सत्तम (प्रातिपदिक)
Formषष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (genitive determinative: 'best among Dānavas'); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
शूलेनwith a trident/spear
शूलेन:
करण (Karaṇa/Instrument)
TypeNoun
Rootशूल (प्रातिपदिक)
Formतृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग
ज्वलताblazing
ज्वलता:
विशेषण (Adjectival to instrument)
TypeAdjective
Rootज्वल् (धातु)
Formवर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present active participle/शतृ) from ज्वल्; तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), एकवचन, नपुंसकलिङ्ग; शूल-विशेषण (qualifying 'śūlena')
तम्him
तम्:
कर्म (Karma/Object)
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formद्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन, पुंलिङ्ग
तुbut, indeed
तु:
सम्बन्ध (Discourse particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु (अव्यय)
Formनिपात (particle), विरोध/अन्वयार्थ (contrast/emphasis)
स्मयमानःsmiling
स्मयमानः:
कर्ता (Karta/Agent)
TypeVerb
Rootस्मि (धातु)
Formवर्तमान-कृदन्त (Present middle participle/शानच्), आत्मनेपदी; पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; कर्तृ-विशेषण (qualifies subject)
अहनत्struck, slew
अहनत्:
क्रिया (Main action)
TypeVerb
Rootहन् (धातु)
Formलङ् (Imperfect/Past), परस्मैपदी; प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन
मृधेin battle
मृधे:
अधिकरण (Adhikaraṇa/Location)
TypeNoun
Rootमृध्/मृध (प्रातिपदिक: मृध् f. 'battle')
Formसप्तमी (7th/Locative), एकवचन, स्त्रीलिङ्ग
D
dānavasattamaḥ (a foremost Dānava)
Y
yantuḥ (charioteer)

FAQs

It describes a leading Dānava praising his charioteer’s action and then, smiling, striking his opponent with a flaming trident during the battle.

Śukadeva Gosvāmī is narrating the events of the Deva–Asura battle to King Parīkṣit.

Even amid conflict, the Bhagavatam highlights roles like service and strategy (the charioteer’s deed) while warning that pride and aggression—hallmarks of asuric mentality—lead to further violence rather than spiritual progress.