Shloka 46

Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्

Devanagari script

गण्डोवाच उग्रादितो भयाद्‌ यस्माद्‌ बिभ्यतीमे ममेश्वरा: । बलीयांसो दुर्बलवद्‌ बिभेम्यहमत: परम्‌

Transliteration

gaṇḍovāca ugrādito bhayād yasmād bibhyatīme mameśvarāḥ | balīyāṃso durbalavad bibhemyaham ataḥ param ||

Translation

ഗണ്ഡൻ പറഞ്ഞു—കഠിനമായി ഭീഷണിപ്പെടുത്തപ്പെട്ടതിനാൽ ഭയം ഉദിച്ചു; അതുകൊണ്ട് എന്റെ അധിപന്മാരും രക്ഷകരും ഇപ്പോൾ വിറയ്ക്കുന്നു. ശക്തന്മാർ ദുർബലരെപ്പോലെ കുലുങ്ങുന്നത് കണ്ടപ്പോൾ ഞാൻ കൂടി മുൻപേക്കാൾ അധികം ഭീതിയിലായി.

Word by Word

गण्डःGanḍa (name of the speaker)

उवाचsaid

उग्रात्from the fierce one / from the terrible (cause)

इतःhence; therefore; from this

भयात्from fear

यस्मात्from which; because of which

बिभ्यतिthey fear

इमेthese

ममof me; my

ईश्वराःlords; masters

बलीयांसःstronger (ones)

दुर्बलवत्like the weak; as if weak

बिभेमिI fear

अहम्I

अतःtherefore; hence

परम्exceedingly; very much

Speaker

विश्वामित्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

Gaṇḍa

īśvarāḥ (lords/masters)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how fear spreads through a community: when harsh intimidation enters, even the powerful can become unsettled, and the weak feel even more insecure. It implicitly warns against coercive speech and points to the ethical responsibility of leaders to maintain steadiness rather than amplify panic.

What is happening in the narrative?

Gaṇḍa describes the atmosphere after being fiercely threatened: fear has arisen, and even those he regards as his ‘lords’ or protectors are trembling. Observing the strong behave as if weak, he confesses that his own fear has intensified.