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Shloka 31

Indra Slays Namuci—The Limits of Power and the Triumph of Divine Strategy

तदापतद् गगनतले महाजवंविचिच्छिदे हरिरिषुभि: सहस्रधा । तमाहनन्नृप कुलिशेन कन्धरेरुषान्वितस्त्रिदशपति: शिरो हरन् ॥ ३१ ॥

tadāpatad gagana-tale mahā-javaṁ vicicchide harir iṣubhiḥ sahasradhā tam āhanan nṛpa kuliśena kandhare ruṣānvitas tridaśa-patiḥ śiro haran

Wahai Raja, apabila Indra, Raja syurga, melihat tombak yang sangat kuat ini jatuh ke tanah seperti meteor yang menyala, dia segera memotongnya berkeping-keping dengan anak panahnya. Kemudian, dengan sangat marah, dia memukul bahu Namuci dengan petirnya untuk memenggal kepala Namuci.

tadāthen
tadā:
Kāla (काल)
TypeIndeclinable
Roottadā (अव्यय)
FormAdverb of time (कालवाचक अव्यय)
apatatfell/descended
apatat:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootpat (धातु)
FormImperfect (लङ्), 3rd person, Singular; parasmaipada
gagana-taleon the surface of the sky
gagana-tale:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootgagana (प्रातिपदिक) + tala (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Locative (7th), Singular; सप्तमी-तत्पुरुष ‘gaganasya tale’
mahā-javamvery swift
mahā-javam:
Karma-viśeṣaṇa (कर्मविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootmahā (प्रातिपदिक) + java (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular; कर्मधारय ‘mahān javaḥ’ used adjectivally; qualifies implied ‘śūlam’
vicicchidecut apart
vicicchide:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootvi-chid (धातु)
FormPerfect (लिट्), 3rd person, Singular; ātmanepada form; ‘cut to pieces’
hariḥHari (Indra here)
hariḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roothari (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st), Singular
iṣubhiḥwith arrows
iṣubhiḥ:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootiṣu (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Instrumental (3rd), Plural
sahasradhāinto a thousand pieces
sahasradhā:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootsahasradhā (अव्यय)
FormAdverb (प्रकारवाचक अव्यय) ‘into a thousand (pieces)/a thousandfold’
tamhim/that (weapon)
tam:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Roottad (प्रातिपदिक)
FormPronoun, Masculine, Accusative (2nd), Singular
āhananthey struck
āhanan:
Kriyā (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootā-han (धातु)
FormImperfect (लङ्), 3rd person, Plural; parasmaipada
nṛpaO king
nṛpa:
Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
TypeNoun
Rootnṛpa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Vocative (8th), Singular
kuliśenawith the thunderbolt
kuliśena:
Karaṇa (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootkuliśa (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Instrumental (3rd), Singular
kandhareon the neck
kandhare:
Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
TypeNoun
Rootkandhara (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Locative (7th), Singular
ruṣā-anvitaḥfilled with anger
ruṣā-anvitaḥ:
Karta-viśeṣaṇa (कर्तृविशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootruṣā (प्रातिपदिक) + anvita (प्रातिपदिक/कृदन्त)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; उपपद-तत्पुरुष ‘ruṣayā anvitaḥ’ = ‘endowed with anger’; agrees with tridaśa-patiḥ
tridaśa-patiḥlord of the thirty gods (Indra)
tridaśa-patiḥ:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Roottridaśa (प्रातिपदिक) + pati (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष ‘tridaśānāṁ patiḥ’
śiraḥthe head
śiraḥ:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootśiras (प्रातिपदिक)
FormNeuter, Accusative (2nd), Singular
haransevering/carrying off
haran:
Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण)
TypeVerb
Roothṛ (धातु)
FormPresent active participle (शतृ), Masculine, Nominative (1st), Singular; ‘carrying off/severing’; agrees with tridaśa-patiḥ
H
Hari
I
Indra
P
Parīkṣit Mahārāja

FAQs

This verse shows that even a fast, formidable weapon can be shattered by Hari’s arrows, indicating the Supreme Lord’s mastery over all celestial powers and armaments.

In the heat of the Deva–Asura conflict, Indra—overcome by anger—attempted to stop Hari by striking Him with the vajra, aiming to disable Him by targeting His shoulder and even seeking to sever His head.

It teaches steadiness: worldly “weapons” like fear, anger, and sudden crises can be met with composure and divine shelter, remembering that the highest protection is alignment with dharma and devotion to Hari.