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

എന്നാൽ ഇപ്പോൾ ഞാൻ മനുഷ്യസ്ഥിതിയിൽ വർത്തിക്കുന്നു; അതുകൊണ്ട് കൗരവന്മാർക്കെതിരെ ദിവ്യശക്തി പ്രയോഗിക്കാതെ ആദ്യം വിനീതമായി സന്ധിക്കായി അപേക്ഷിച്ചു. പക്ഷേ അവർ മോഹത്തിൽ പതിഞ്ഞതിനാൽ എന്റെ ഹിതവചനം സ്വീകരിച്ചില്ല.

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.