Shloka 31

इन्द्रद्युम्नोपाख्यानम्

Indradyumna Upākhyāna: On Kīrti, Smṛti, and Restoration

Devanagari script

स्वल्पवीर्यबला: स्तब्धा लोभमोहपरायणा: । तत्कथादानसंतुष्टा दुष्टानामपि मानवा:,उनके शारीरिक बल और पराक्रम क्षीण हो जायँगे। वे उद्ण्ड होकर लोभ और मोहमें डूबे रहेंगे। वैसे ही लोगोंकी चर्चा करने और उनसे दान लेनेमें प्रसन्नताका अनुभव करेंगे। कपटपूर्ण आचारको अपनाकर वे दुष्टोंके दिये हुए दानको भी ग्रहण कर लेंगे। कुन्तीनन्दन! पापबुद्धि राजा एक-दूसरेको युद्धके लिये ललकारते हुए परस्पर एक-दूसरेके प्राण लेनेको उतारू रहेंगे और मूर्ख होते हुए अपनेको पण्डित मानेंगे। इस प्रकार युगान्तकालके सभी क्षत्रिय जगतके लिये काँटे बन जायँगे

Transliteration

svalpavīryabalāḥ stabdhā lobhamohaparāyaṇāḥ | tatkathādānasaṃtuṣṭā duṣṭānām api mānavāḥ ||

Translation

Disse Mārkaṇḍeya: “Os homens se tornarão de pouca força e valor diminuído, endurecidos e arrogantes, inteiramente entregues à cobiça e à ilusão. Terão prazer em falar sobre tais pessoas e em receber seus presentes; adotando conduta enganosa, aceitarão até doações oferecidas pelos perversos.”

Word by Word

स्वल्पवीर्यबला:of little strength and prowess

स्तब्धा:stunned; rigid; insolent

लोभमोहपरायणा:devoted to greed and delusion

तत्कथादानसंतुष्टा:content with talk about them and with gifts (received from them)

दुष्टानाम्of the wicked

अपिeven; also

मानवा:men; humans

Speaker

मार्कण्डेय उवाच

Characters & Entities

Mārkaṇḍeya

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse warns that when society loses dharma, people become weak in courage and character, dominated by greed and delusion, and they normalize unethical behavior—such as flattering the corrupt and accepting tainted gifts—thereby strengthening wickedness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mārkaṇḍeya is describing signs of a degenerate age: humans will grow morally and physically diminished, become arrogant and greedy, and find satisfaction in gossip and in receiving donations—even from immoral sources—indicating a broader collapse of righteous conduct.