Shloka 9

Adhyaya 73 — The Uttama Manvantara: Classes of Devas, Indra Sushanti, and the Royal Lineage

Sanskrit

शुशान्तिर्देवराट् कान्तः शुशान्तिं स प्रयच्छति ।

सहितः शिवसत्याद्यैस्तथैव वशवर्तिभिः ॥

Transliteration

śuśāntir devarāṭ kāntaḥ śuśāntiṃ sa prayacchati | sahitaḥ śivasatyādyais tathaiva vaśavartibhiḥ ||

Translation

ଦେବପ୍ରିୟ ଅଧିପତି ସୁଶାନ୍ତି ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ‘ସୁଶାନ୍ତି’ (ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ଶାନ୍ତି) ପ୍ରଦାନ କରନ୍ତି—ଶିବ ଓ ସତ୍ୟ ଆଦି ଗଣ ସହ, ଏବଂ ବସୁମାନଙ୍କ ଅଧୀନସ୍ଥମାନଙ୍କ ସହ ମଧ୍ୟ।

Word by Word

• सुशान्तिः: Suśānti
• सुशान्तिः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + शान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; नाम (proper name)

• देवराट्: king of the gods
• देवराट्: Karta (कर्ता/Apposition)
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव + राज् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन; ‘राट्’ (राजन्-शब्दस्य विशेषरूपम्) — देवेषु राजा

• कान्तः: beloved/beautiful
• कान्तः: Visheshana (विशेषण/Qualifier)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कान्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सुशान्तिम्: peace/tranquillity (Suśānti)
• सुशान्तिम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सु + शान्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• सः: he
• सः: Karta (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• प्रयच्छति: bestows/gives
• प्रयच्छति: Kriya (क्रिया/Verb)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + यम् (धातु)
• Form: लट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• सहितः: accompanied
• सहितः: Sahakari (सहकारी/Accompaniment)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सह (उपसर्ग/अव्यय) + इ (धातु) + क्त (कृदन्त)
• Form: भूतकर्मणि क्त (PPP) ‘accompanied/associated’, पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• शिवसत्याद्यैः: with Śiva, Satya, and others
• शिवसत्याद्यैः: Sahakari (सहकारी/Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिव + सत्य + आदि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; द्वन्द्वः (शिवश्च सत्यश्च ...), ‘-आद्य’ = ‘and others’

• तथा: likewise
• तथा: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Connector)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, क्रियाविशेषण — ‘likewise’

• एव: indeed
• एव: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/Emphasis particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय, निपात — emphasis ‘indeed/just’

• वशवर्तिभिः: with those who are obedient/submissive
• वशवर्तिभिः: Sahakari (सहकारी/Accompaniment)
• Type: Noun
• Root: वश + वर्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, तृतीया, बहुवचन; तत्पुरुषः (वशे वर्तन्ते इति)

Speakers

• Puranic narrator

Primary Deities

• Indra (Suśānti)
• Śiva (as a named deva/personage here, not necessarily Rudra)
• Satya

Key Themes

• Cosmology
• Divine administration
• Peace as a cosmic function

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Peace is framed as an active gift of righteous rule: the devarāṭ’s function is not merely victory but the maintenance of tranquility through coordinated divine agencies.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Manvantara: cataloguing the governing deities and their cooperative groups is a hallmark of Manvantara narration.

What is the esoteric significance?

The wordplay of ‘Suśānti grants suśānti’ encodes identity between office and function: the ruler’s true nature is the quality he stabilizes in the cosmos.