Shloka 21
Plakṣaprasravaṇa–Kārapacana tīrtha-varṇana and Nārada’s war briefing (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 53)
Devanagari script
अपि चात्र स्वयं शक्रो जगौ गाथां सुराधिप:
Transliteration
api cātra svayaṃ śakro jagau gāthāṃ surādhipaḥ
Translation
अपि चात्र स्वयं शक्रो जगौ गाथां सुराधिपः ।
Word by Word
अपिalso, even
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
अत्रhere
अत्र:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअत्र
स्वयम्himself
स्वयम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootस्वयम्
शक्रःŚakra (Indra)
शक्रः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootशक्र
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
जगौsang, recited
जगौ:
TypeVerb
Rootगै
FormPerfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular
गाथाम्a verse, song
गाथाम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootगाथा
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
सुराधिपःlord of the gods
सुराधिपः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootसुराधिप
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
राम उवाच
Characters & Entities
R
Rāma (speaker)Ś
Śakra (Indra)S
Surādhipa (lord of the gods, epithet of Indra)G
Gāthā (didactic verse)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse signals that the guidance to follow is grounded in an authoritative, time-tested maxim: a divine gāthā attributed to Indra. Ethically, it frames the forthcoming instruction as aligned with dharma and traditional wisdom rather than mere personal opinion.
Rāma introduces a remembered episode or precedent: Indra himself once recited a gāthā in this kind of situation. This serves as a transition into quoting that verse, strengthening the persuasive force of the counsel being delivered.