Shloka 18

Origins of the Maruts — Across the Manvantaras

Devanagari script

तच्छुक्रं पार्थिवेन्द्रस्य मन्यमानास्तदामृतम् पीतमात्रेण शुक्रेण पार्थिवेन्द्रोद्भवेन ताः

Transliteration

tacchukraṃ pārthivendrasya manyamānāstadāmṛtam pītamātreṇa śukreṇa pārthivendrodbhavena tāḥ

Translation

Thinking that semen of the lord of the earth (the king) to be nectar, by merely drinking that semen—originating from the king—they (were affected/changed accordingly).

Speakers

• Narrative voice; the verse supplies the key identification and causal mechanism of the episode.

Key Themes

• Śukra as vital essence (misrecognized as amṛta)
• Causality through consumption (pītamātra)
• Royal potency and generative power (pārthivendra)
• Etiological storytelling tied to a tirtha

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

How should 'śukra' be understood here—purely biological or also metaphysical?

Both registers operate: śukra is semen in the literal sense, but Purāṇic discourse also treats it as a concentrated life-essence (tejas/vīrya). The narrative leverages this ambiguity to explain why it could be mistaken for amṛta.

What does 'pītamātreṇa' imply about the potency of the act?

It stresses immediacy and sufficiency: the transformation/effect does not require prolonged ritual or quantity—mere ingestion is presented as causally decisive, heightening the episode’s mythic force.

Why specify 'pārthivendrodbhava' (originating from the king)?

The origin anchors the substance’s perceived power in royal vīrya/tejas. In Purāṇic logic, the status and potency of the source (a king) can intensify the efficacy and consequences of contact or consumption.