Shloka 7

Marutta’s Sacrifice and Agni’s Embassy (मरुत्त-यज्ञे दूतत्वम्)

Devanagari script

अतोअसि्मि देवेन्द्र विवर्णरूप: सपत्नो मे वर्धते तन्निशम्य । सर्वोपायैर्मघवन्‌ संनियच्छ संवर्त वा पार्थिवं वा मरुत्तम्‌

Transliteration

ato 'smi devendra vivarṇarūpaḥ sapatno me vardhate tan niśamya | sarvopāyair maghavan saṁniyaccha saṁvartaṁ vā pārthivaṁ vā maruttam ||

Translation

സംവർത്തൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ദേവേന്ദ്രാ! അതുകൊണ്ടാണ് ഞാൻ വർണ്ണം മങ്ങിയവനായി വിഷണ്ണനായത്. എന്റെ പ്രതിസ്പർധി ശക്തി വർധിപ്പിക്കുന്നു എന്നു കേട്ടപ്പോൾ എന്റെ ആശങ്ക കൂടി. അതിനാൽ, മഘവൻ! എല്ലാ ഉപായങ്ങളാലും സംവർത്തനെയോ രാജാവ് മരുത്തനെയോ നിയന്ത്രിക്ക, ദേവാധിപാ!

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'ataḥ', 'definition': 'therefore

• for this reason'}, {'term': 'devendra', 'definition': 'Indra, lord of the gods'}, {'term': 'vivarṇarūpaḥ', 'definition': 'of faded/pale appearance

• dejected'}, {'term': 'sapatnaḥ', 'definition': 'rival

• adversary'}, {'term': 'vardhate', 'definition': 'grows

• prospers'}, {'term': 'niśamya', 'definition': 'having heard

• on hearing'}, {'term': 'sarvopāyaiḥ', 'definition': 'by all means

• by every expedient'}, {'term': 'maghavan', 'definition': 'Maghavan, an epithet of Indra (the bountiful/mighty one)'}, {'term': 'saṁniyaccha', 'definition': 'restrain

• confine'}, {'term': 'saṁvarta', 'definition': 'Saṁvarta (a powerful sage/ascetic figure in this episode)'}, {'term': 'pārthiva', 'definition': 'earthly king

• monarch'}, {'term': 'marutta', 'definition': 'Marutta (a king associated with a famed sacrifice)'}]

Speaker

संवर्त उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Saṁvarta
• Indra (Devendra, Maghavan)
• King Marutta (Marutta)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how fear of a rival’s rise can drive one to seek coercive control through authority. Ethically, it invites reflection on whether “all means” (sarvopāyaiḥ) are justified, and how anxiety can distort judgment toward suppression rather than discernment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Saṁvarta addresses Indra, confessing his dejection upon hearing that his rival is growing in power. He urges Indra to intervene decisively and restrain or imprison either Saṁvarta or King Marutta, indicating a tense struggle involving divine power and a king’s actions.