Shloka 7

Devanagari script

अत्रिर॒वाच कथं रक्षामि भवतस्ते<ब्रुवंश्वन्द्रमा भव । तिमिरघ्नश्न सविता दस्युहन्ता च नो भव

Transliteration

atrir uvāca: kathaṁ rakṣāmi bhavatas te? bruvan: candramā bhava; timiraghnaś ca savitā, dasyuhantā ca no bhava.

Translation

ଅତ୍ରି କହିଲେ— “ମୁଁ ତୁମମାନଙ୍କୁ କିପରି ରକ୍ଷା କରିବି?” ଦେବତାମାନେ କହିଲେ— “ତୁମେ ଚନ୍ଦ୍ର ହେଉ; ଅନ୍ଧକାର ନାଶକ ସୂର୍ଯ୍ୟ ମଧ୍ୟ ହେଉ। ଆମ ପାଇଁ ଦସ୍ୟୁ ସଦୃଶ ଏହି ଦାନବ ଶତ୍ରୁମାନଙ୍କୁ ସଂହାର କର।”

Word by Word

• अत्रिः: Atri (the sage)
• अत्रिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अत्रि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular

• कथम्: how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• रक्षामि: do I protect
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष्
• Form: Present, 1, Singular

• भवतः: of you (honorific)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: भवत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• ते: they / those (i.e., the gods)
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अब्रुवन्: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperfect, 3, Plural

• चन्द्रमा: the Moon
• चन्द्रमा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्रमस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भव: be (become)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperative, 2, Singular

• तिमिरघ्नः: darkness-destroying
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तिमिरघ्न
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नः: of us / our
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Plural

• सविता: the Sun
• सविता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सवितृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दस्युहन्ता: slayer of robbers/enemies
• Type: Noun
• Root: दस्युहन्तृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• नः: of us / our
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Plural

• भव: be (become)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperative, 2, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Atri
• Devas (the gods)
• Candramā (Moon)
• Savitā (Sun)
• Dasyu (marauders/raiders)
• Dānavas (demons, as per the accompanying sense)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Protection of the righteous may require assuming a role that dispels ignorance and fear (symbolized by darkness) and actively restrains destructive forces; ethical guardianship is both illuminating (guiding) and corrective (removing harm).

What is happening in the narrative?

Atri asks how he can safeguard the gods; they instruct him to take on the functions of the Moon and the Sun—dispelling darkness—and to destroy the hostile marauders/demonic enemies threatening them.