Shloka 85

The Birth of Tāraka and the Prelude to the Deva–Asura War

Topic-based Title

Devanagari script

इत्युवाच महाभागो बृहस्पतिरुदारधीः । बृहस्पतिरुवाच । सामपूर्वा श्रुता नीतिश्चतुरंगापताकिनी

Transliteration

ityuvāca mahābhāgo bṛhaspatirudāradhīḥ | bṛhaspatiruvāca | sāmapūrvā śrutā nītiścaturaṃgāpatākinī

Translation

Assim falou o venturoso Bṛhaspati, de elevado discernimento. Bṛhaspati disse: «Aprendeu-se esta política de governo, precedida pela conciliação (sāma), disposta como um exército de quatro partes e portando o seu estandarte».

Word by Word

• iti: thus
• iti: Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: iti (अव्यय)
• Form: Avyaya; quotative particle (इति-निपात)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra (perfect/परोक्षभूत), Prathama-puruṣa (3rd), Ekavacana; parasmaipada

• mahābhāgaḥ: the greatly fortunate one
• mahābhāgaḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: mahā (प्रातिपदिक) + bhāga (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā (1st), Ekavacana; epithet ‘great-fortuned’

• bṛhaspatiḥ: Bṛhaspati
• bṛhaspatiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bṛhaspati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• udāradhīḥ: of noble intellect
• udāradhīḥ: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: udāra (प्रातिपदिक) + dhī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; bahuvrīhi-like sense but form as karmadhāraya epithet ‘noble-minded’

• bṛhaspatiḥ: Bṛhaspati
• bṛhaspatiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: bṛhaspati (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Puṃliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana (speaker tag)

• uvāca: said
• uvāca: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: vac (धातु)
• Form: Liṭ-lakāra, Prathama-puruṣa, Ekavacana

• sāma-pūrvā: beginning with conciliation (sāma)
• sāma-pūrvā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sāma (प्रातिपदिक) + pūrva (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; ‘having sāma first’ (sāma as first member)

• śrutā: well-known; learned
• śrutā: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: śru (धातु) + kta (कृत्)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; kta-participle (भूतकर्मणि क्त) used adjectivally ‘heard/learned’

• nītiḥ: policy; statecraft
• nītiḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: nīti (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana

• caturaṅgā-patākinī: fourfold-bannered (with four divisions)
• caturaṅgā-patākinī: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: catur (संख्या/प्रातिपदिक) + aṅga (प्रातिपदिक) + patākinī (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Strīliṅga, Prathamā, Ekavacana; describing nītiḥ; ‘having the banner of four limbs’ i.e., fourfold (army) components; internal compound caturaṅga (Dvigu/Tatpurusha) + patākinī

Speaker

Bṛhaspati

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: shanta

Secondary Rasa: vira

Geographic Context

Type: celestial_realm

Sandhi Resolution Notes

Sandhi Resolution Notes: ityuvāca = iti + uvāca; bṛhaspatirudāradhīḥ = bṛhaspatiḥ + udāradhīḥ; bṛhaspatiruvāca = bṛhaspatiḥ + uvāca; nītiścaturaṅgāpatākinī = nītiḥ + caturaṅgāpatākinī.

Characters & Entities

• Bṛhaspati

FAQs

What does this verse teach about the order of diplomatic methods?

It highlights sāma (conciliation/persuasion) as the first and preferred approach in nīti (statecraft), implying that peaceful resolution should precede harsher measures.

Why is nīti compared to a “fourfold army” (caturaṅga)?

The metaphor suggests nīti is structured, multi-pronged, and strategically complete—like an army with four divisions—able to address situations through different coordinated means.

What is the ethical lesson conveyed by the phrase “sāma-pūrvā”?

The verse implies an ethical priority: begin with gentleness and dialogue, using forceful or punitive strategies only after conciliatory avenues have been tried.