Shloka 19
Adhyaya 3 — The Dharmapakshis’ Past-Life Curse and Indra’s Test of Truthfulness
आजगाम महावर्ष्मा भग्नपक्षो जरान्वितः ।
आताम्रनेत्रः स्रस्तात्मा पक्षी भूत्वा सुरेश्वरः ॥
ājagāma mahāvarṣmā bhagnapakṣo jarānvitaḥ / ātāmranetraḥ strastātmā pakṣī bhūtvā sureśvaraḥ
அப்போது தேவர்களின் அதிபதி இந்திரன் அங்கேப் பறவையாக உருமாறி வந்தான்—மிகப் பெரிய உடலுடன், முறிந்த இறக்கைகளுடன், முதுமையால் துன்புற்றவன். அவன் கண்கள் செம்பொன்-சிவப்பாக, மனம் தளர்ந்து, செயல் சோர்ந்திருந்தது.
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FAQs
Even the highest worldly sovereignty (Indrahood) is unstable; decline, humiliation, and vulnerability can befall the mighty. The verse sets an ethical tone of humility and prepares the listener for instruction that is not dependent on rank or power.
Primarily Itihāsa/Ākhyāna (narrative episode) rather than a direct pañcalakṣaṇa item. Indirectly it supports Dharma teaching through story, but it is not Sarga/Pratisarga/Manvantara/Vaṁśa/Vaṁśānucarita as a standalone verse.
Indra as a ‘broken-winged, aged bird’ symbolizes the fall of ego and the limitation of celestial power. ‘Wings’ can signify agency and ascent; their breaking indicates loss of former capacity, pushing the being toward receptivity, inquiry, and inner reorientation rather than dominance.