Shloka 19

The Story of Yayāti: Indra and Dharmarāja on Vaiṣṇava Dharma and the ‘Heavenizing’ of Earth

Devanagari script

देवराज महाभाग यदीच्छसि मम प्रियम् । इत्याकर्ण्य वचस्तस्य धर्मस्यापि सुराधिपः

Transliteration

devarāja mahābhāga yadīcchasi mama priyam | ityākarṇya vacastasya dharmasyāpi surādhipaḥ

Translation

ਹੇ ਦੇਵਰਾਜ, ਮਹਾਭਾਗ! ਜੇ ਤੂੰ ਮੇਰੀ ਪ੍ਰੀਤੀ ਲਈ ਕਰਨਾ ਚਾਹੇਂ… ਧਰਮ ਦੇ ਇਹ ਬਚਨ ਸੁਣ ਕੇ ਸੁਰਾਂ ਦਾ ਅਧਿਪਤੀ ਇੰਦਰ…

Word by Word

• devarāja: O king of gods
• devarāja: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: deva (प्रातिपदिक) + rāja (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय (devaḥ rājā)

• mahābhāga: O greatly fortunate one
• mahābhāga: Sambodhana (Address/सम्बोधन)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन (8), एकवचन; समासः—कर्मधारय; विशेषणम्

• yadi: if
• yadi: Sambandha (Conjunction/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: yadi (अव्यय)
• Form: शर्तवाचक-अव्यय (conditional conjunction)

• icchasi: you desire
• icchasi: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: iṣ (धातु)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), मध्यमपुरुष, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• mama: my
• mama: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: asmad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• priyam: what is dear (to me)
• priyam: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: priya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (Discourse marker/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: उद्धरण-सूचक अव्यय (quotative particle)

• ākarṇya: having heard
• ākarṇya: Purvakala (Prior action/पूर्वकाल)
• Type: Verb
• Root: ā + karṇ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त (अव्ययकृदन्त/gerund), ‘श्रुत्वा’ अर्थे; उपसर्गः—आ

• vacaḥ: speech, words
• vacaḥ: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: vacas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2), एकवचन

• tasya: of him
• tasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं/नपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन; सर्वनाम

• dharmasya: of Dharma
• dharmasya: Sambandha (Genitive relation/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Noun
• Root: dharma (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी (6), एकवचन

• api: also
• api: Sambandha (Particle/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: api (अव्यय)
• Form: समुच्चय-अव्यय (also/even)

• surādhipaḥ: the lord of the gods (Indra)
• surādhipaḥ: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: sura (प्रातिपदिक) + adhipa (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1), एकवचन; समासः—षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (surāṇām adhipaḥ)

Speaker

Dharma (personified)

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: adbhuta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: yadīcchasi = yadi + icchasi; ityākarṇya = iti + ākarṇya; vacastasya = vacaḥ + tasya; dharmasyāpi = dharmasya + api.

Characters & Entities

• Indra
• Dharma

FAQs

Who is being addressed as “Devarāja” in this verse?

“Devarāja” refers to Indra, the lord/king of the gods (surādhipaḥ).

What is the main action described in this half-verse?

Dharma addresses Indra and Indra is described as hearing (ākarṇya) Dharma’s words, setting up what Indra will do next in the following verse.

What ethical emphasis does the verse imply?

It frames divine authority (Indra) as responsive to Dharma’s counsel—suggesting that rightful power should listen to and act in accordance with Dharma.