Shloka 49

Adhyaya 3 — The Dharmapakshis’ Past-Life Curse and Indra’s Test of Truthfulness

Sanskrit

इत्यृषेर्वचनं श्रुत्वा सोऽन्तर्विस्मयनिर्भरः ।

प्रत्युवाच मुनिं शक्रः पक्षिरूपधरस्तदा ॥

Transliteration

ity ṛṣer vacanaṃ śrutvā so 'ntarvismayanirbharaḥ /

pratyuvāca muniṃ śakraḥ pakṣirūpadharās tadā //

Translation

ഋഷിയുടെ വചനങ്ങൾ കേട്ട് അവൻ അന്തർഭാഗത്ത് അത്ഭുതത്തോടെ നിറഞ്ഞ് മുനിയോട് മറുപടി പറഞ്ഞു. അപ്പോൾ ശക്രൻ (ഇന്ദ്രൻ) പക്ഷിരൂപം ധരിച്ചിരുന്നതായിരുന്നു.

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Quotative particle (इति-प्रयोगः), indeclinable (अव्यय)

• ṛṣeḥ: of the sage
• ṛṣeḥ: Sambandha (षष्ठी-सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ṛṣi (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Genitive (6th/षष्ठी), Singular (एकवचन)

• vacanam: speech; words
• vacanam: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacana (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter (नपुंसकलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• śrutvā: having heard
• śrutvā: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/पूर्वक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: śru (धातु) + ktvā (क्त्वा)
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वान्त), ‘having heard’ (श्रुत्वा)

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun (सर्वनाम), Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• antarvismayanirbharaḥ: filled with inner amazement
• antarvismayanirbharaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of saḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: antar (अव्यय) + vismaya (प्रातिपदिक) + nirbhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); compound: antar-vismaya-nirbhara = ‘filled with inner astonishment’ (अन्तर्विस्मयेन निर्भरः)

• pratyuvāca: replied
• pratyuvāca: Kriyā (मुख्यक्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: prati-√vac (वच् धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd person (प्रथमपुरुष), Singular (एकवचन); parasmaipada (परस्मैपद)

• munim: to the sage
• munim: Karma (कर्म/recipient of speech)
• Type: Noun
• Root: muni (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Accusative (2nd/द्वितीया), Singular (एकवचन)

• śakraḥ: Śakra (Indra)
• śakraḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: śakra (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन)

• pakṣirūpadharaḥ: in bird-form; bearing a bird’s form
• pakṣirūpadharaḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण of śakraḥ)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: pakṣi (प्रातिपदिक) + rūpa (प्रातिपदिक) + dhara (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine (पुंलिङ्ग), Nominative (1st/प्रथमा), Singular (एकवचन); compound: pakṣi-rūpa-dhara = ‘bearing the form of a bird’ (पक्षिरूपं धरति)

• tadā: then
• tadā: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (कालाधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tadā (अव्यय)
• Form: Temporal adverb (कालवाचक-अव्यय)

Speakers

• Śakra (Indra) in bird-form replying to a Ṛṣi (sage)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Primary Deities

• Indra (Śakra)

Key Themes

• Frame narrative
• Dialogue structure
• Disguise/assumed form (rūpa-dhāraṇa)
• Wonder (vismaya) preceding instruction

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse emphasizes śravaṇa (attentive listening) as the proper prelude to meaningful response. Indra’s inward astonishment suggests humility before higher insight: even the king of gods pauses, absorbs, and only then replies—modeling disciplined dialogue and receptivity to wisdom.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

This verse is primarily part of the Purāṇic frame-setup (ākhyāna/saṃvāda) rather than directly expounding sarga (creation), pratisarga, vaṃśa, manvantara, or vaṃśānucarita. Functionally it supports later pancalakṣaṇa material by establishing the narrative conduit through which teachings are delivered.

What is the esoteric significance?

Śakra appearing as a bird (pakṣirūpa) can symbolize consciousness operating through a subtler vehicle—‘winged’ movement between realms (human/ṛṣi and deva). The ‘inner astonishment’ (antar-vismaya) points to the moment when ordinary status dissolves before truth, enabling transformation from authority to student and from concealment to revelation.