Shloka 22

Durvasa’s Curse, the Churning of the Ocean, and Lakshmi’s Manifestation

Chapter 4

Devanagari script

आरुह्यैरावतं नागं प्रययावमरावतीम् । ततः प्रभृति निःश्रीकं सशक्रं भुवनत्रयम्

Transliteration

āruhyairāvataṃ nāgaṃ prayayāvamarāvatīm | tataḥ prabhṛti niḥśrīkaṃ saśakraṃ bhuvanatrayam

Translation

ഐരാവത ആനയെ കയറി അവൻ അമരാവതിയിലേക്കു പോയി; അന്നുമുതൽ ഇന്ദ്രനോടുകൂടിയ ത്രിഭുവനവും ശ്രീ-തേജസ്സില്ലാത്തതായി മാറി।

Word by Word

• आरुह्य: having mounted
• आरुह्य: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ-रुह् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त-अव्यय (Gerund/Absolutive): ‘having mounted’

• ऐरावतम्: Airāvata (Indra’s elephant)
• ऐरावतम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऐरावत (प्रातिपदिक; नाम)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Masc Acc sg)

• नागम्: elephant
• नागम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Masc Acc sg)

• प्रययौ: went
• प्रययौ: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-या (धातु)
• Form: लिट्-लकार (Perfect), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन (3rd sg), परस्मैपद

• अमरावतीम्: Amarāvatī
• अमरावतीम्: Karma (Goal/गति-कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमर (प्रातिपदिक) + आवती (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन (Fem Acc sg); तत्पुरुषः: अमराणां आवती/पुरी (city of the immortals)

• ततः: thereafter
• ततः: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः (अव्यय; तद्-तसिल्)
• Form: तसिल्-प्रत्ययान्त अव्यय (ablatival adverb): ‘from then/thereafter’

• प्रभृति: from (that time) onward
• प्रभृति: Kala (Time/काल)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रभृति (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय (postposition/adverb) ‘from … onwards’

• निःश्रीकम्: devoid of splendor/prosperity
• निःश्रीकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निः (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + श्री (प्रातिपदिक) + -क (तद्धित)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter Nom/Acc sg); निः-उपसर्गयुक्त तद्धितान्त: ‘without prosperity’

• स-शक्रम्: together with Śakra (Indra)
• स-शक्रम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स (उपसर्गसदृश; सह-अर्थ) + शक्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter Nom/Acc sg); तत्पुरुषः (सह-अर्थे): शक्रेण सह/युक्तम् (together with Śakra)

• भुवन-त्रयम्: the three worlds
• भुवन-त्रयम्: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुवन (प्रातिपदिक) + त्रय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा/द्वितीया, एकवचन (Neuter Nom/Acc sg); तत्पुरुषः: त्रयाणि भुवनानि (three worlds)

Speaker

Narrator (contextual voice; specific dialogue pair not explicit in the provided verse alone)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Geographic Context

Type: city

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: आरुह्य + ऐरावतम् → आरुह्यैरावतम्; प्रययौ + अमरावतीम् → प्रययावमरावतीम्; स + शक्रम् → सशक्रम्; भुवन + त्रयम् → भुवनत्रयम्.

Characters & Entities

• Airāvata
• Amarāvatī
• Śakra (Indra)
• Bhuvana-traya (three worlds)

FAQs

What does this verse indicate about Amarāvatī and Airāvata?

It identifies Amarāvatī as Indra’s celestial city and Airāvata as the divine elephant used as a mount for travel to that realm.

Why does the verse say the three worlds became ‘niḥśrīka’ (bereft of splendor)?

The verse links a departure to a cosmic diminishment of ‘śrī’ (splendor/fortune), implying that the presence or right condition of the ruler of the gods (Śakra/Indra) is tied to the perceived prosperity and radiance of the worlds.

What ethical or philosophical lesson is suggested here?

It suggests that leadership and cosmic stewardship matter: when the divine order’s guardian is absent or compromised, the wider world experiences decline in prosperity and harmony.