Mahabharata 1.19.31 — Adi Parva, Adhyaya 19, Shloka 31

समुद्रवर्णनम् (Description of the Ocean) — Kadrū and Vinatā approach the sea

Devanagari script

ततो<मृतं सुनिहितमेव चक्रिरे सुरा: परां मुदमभिगम्य पुष्कलाम्‌ | ददौ च तं निधिममृतस्य रक्षितुं किरीटिने बलभिदथामरै: सह

Transliteration

tato 'mṛtaṃ sunihitam eva cakrire surāḥ parāṃ mudam abhigamya puṣkalām | dadau ca taṃ nidhim amṛtasya rakṣituṃ kirīṭine balabhid athāmaraiḥ saha ||

Translation

Então os deuses, tendo alcançado alegria abundante e suprema com aquela vitória, guardaram cuidadosamente o néctar da imortalidade. Depois Indra, o matador de Bala, juntamente com os imortais, confiou esse tesouro de amṛta para guarda a Nara, o divino portador de diadema.

Word by Word

• {'tataḥ': 'then, thereafter', 'amṛtam': 'nectar of immortality

• ambrosia', 'sunihitam': 'well-placed, securely deposited, carefully stored', 'eva': 'indeed, precisely', 'cakrire': 'they did/made/arranged (perfect/preterite of √kṛ)', 'surāḥ': 'the gods', 'parām': 'supreme, highest', 'mudam': 'joy, delight', 'abhigamya': 'having attained/approached (gerund of abhi-√gam)', 'puṣkalām': 'abundant, great, plentiful', 'dadau': 'gave, entrusted (of √dā)', 'ca': 'and', 'tam': 'that', 'nidhim': 'treasure, store, deposit', 'amṛtasya': 'of the nectar of immortality', 'rakṣitum': 'to protect, to guard (infinitive of √rakṣ)', 'kirīṭine': 'to the diadem-wearing one

• to the crowned one', 'balabhit': 'Bala-slayer (epithet of Indra)', 'atha': 'then, thereupon', 'amaraiḥ': 'with the immortals (gods)', 'saha': 'together with'}

Speaker

शौनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• शौनक (Śaunaka)
• सुरा: (the gods)
• इन्द्र (Indra, Balabhid)
• अमृत (amṛta)
• नर (Nara, kirīṭin)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Powerful boons (like amṛta) must be secured and entrusted to a worthy guardian; rightful custody and disciplined protection uphold cosmic order and prevent misuse.

What is happening in the narrative?

After a successful outcome, the gods rejoice, store the amṛta safely, and Indra—along with the other immortals—hands over the treasure of amṛta to the crowned divine Nara for protection.