Srimad Bhagavatam — Navama Skandha, Shloka 33
Ikṣvāku Dynasty: Vikukṣi’s Offense, Purañjaya’s Victory, Māndhātā’s Birth, and Saubhari’s Fall and Renunciation
त्रसद्दस्युरितीन्द्रोऽङ्ग विदधे नाम यस्य वै । यस्मात् त्रसन्ति ह्युद्विग्ना दस्यवो रावणादय: ॥ ३३ ॥ यौवनाश्वोऽथ मान्धाता चक्रवर्त्यवनीं प्रभु: । सप्तद्वीपवतीमेक: शशासाच्युततेजसा ॥ ३४ ॥
trasaddasyur itīndro ’ṅga vidadhe nāma yasya vai yasmāt trasanti hy udvignā dasyavo rāvaṇādayaḥ
Ó Parīkṣit, Indra lhe deu o nome de “Trasaddasyu”, pois Rāvaṇa e outros ladrões e malfeitores tremiam de medo diante dele. Pela misericórdia de Acyuta, o filho de Yuvanāśva, Māndhātā, tornou-se um cakravartī tão poderoso que governou sozinho, sem segundo rival, toda a terra de sete ilhas.
FAQs
This verse explains that Indra named him Trasaddasyu because his strength made the dasyus (lawless marauders) tremble in fear.
To highlight the king’s divinely recognized power and role as a protector—so formidable that even notorious aggressors were shaken.
Leadership should protect society from exploitation and lawlessness; real authority is measured by safeguarding the innocent, not by self-interest.