Shloka 20

Puruṣaikatva-vyākhyāna: The One Virāṭ Puruṣa and the Many ‘Puruṣas’

Rudra–Brahmā Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

अस्य प्रतिप्रियं कार्य सहितैनों दिवौकस: । इति बुद्ध्या व्यवस्याशु गत्वा निश्चयमीश्व॒रा:

Transliteration

asya pratipriyaṁ kārya sahitainō divaukasaḥ | iti buddhyā vyavasyāśu gatvā niścayam īśvarāḥ ||

Translation

भीष्म म्हणाले—“याने आपल्या हितासाठी जे केले, त्याच्या प्रत्युपकारार्थ आपण याचे हित करणे आवश्यक आहे”—अशी बुद्धी करून इंद्रासह सर्व देवांनी त्वरेने निश्चय केला आणि प्रस्थान केले.

Word by Word

अस्यof him/this (person)

प्रतिप्रियम्a pleasing return / something agreeable in return

कार्यम्a deed; what should be done

सहितैःtogether with; accompanied by

एनःsin; offense

दिवौकसःthe dwellers in heaven; gods

इतिthus

बुद्ध्याwith understanding; by thought

व्यवस्यhaving resolved/decided

आशुquickly

गत्वाhaving gone

निश्चयम्a decision; certainty

ईश्वराःthe lords; the powerful ones

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Indra

the gods (divaukasaḥ)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should respond to benefaction with a fitting return—recognizing gratitude as a dharmic obligation and acting decisively to repay or uphold the good received.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes the gods, led by Indra, forming a swift and settled decision to go and perform a reciprocal good deed for someone who has benefited them.