Shloka 19

Adhyaya 5 — Tvashta’s Wrath, the Birth of Vritra, and the Divine Descent as the Pandavas

Sanskrit

अक्षौहिण्यो हि बहुलास्तद्भारार्ता व्रजाम्यधः ।

तथा कुरुध्वं त्रिदशा यथा शान्तिर्भवेन्मम ॥

Transliteration

akṣauhiṇyo hi bahulās tad-bhārārtā vrajāmy adhaḥ | tathā kurudhvaṃ tridaśā yathā śāntir bhaven mama ||

Translation

అక్షౌహిణీ సేనలు నిజంగా అనేకం; వాటి భారంతో పీడితమై నేను కుంగిపోతున్నాను. కనుక, హే త్రిదశ దేవతలారా, నాకు శాంతి కలిగేలా చర్య చేయండి।

Word by Word

अक्षौहिण्यःarmies (akṣauhiṇīs)

हिindeed/for

बहुलाःmany

तत्-भार-आर्ताdistressed by that burden

व्रजामिI go

अधःdownwards/below

तथाthus

कुरुध्वम्do (you all)

त्रिदशाःO gods

यथाso that

शान्तिःpeace

भवेत्may be

ममfor me / of me

Speakers

Unclear from the single-verse input (likely a distressed cosmic entity—often the Earth in Purāṇic idiom—addressing the Devas)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "karuna", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Primary Deities

Devas (Tridaśas)

Key Themes

Cosmic order (ṛta/dharma) under strainWar as a burden on the worldAppeal to the gods for restoration of peaceDharma and protection of the world

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

The verse frames large-scale conflict as a moral and cosmic burden: when power and warfare proliferate beyond measure, the world itself becomes ‘afflicted.’ Ethically, it implies that rulers and divine/protective powers must act to restore śānti (peace) and re-establish dharma rather than allow violence to compound unchecked.

How does this fit the Pancalakṣaṇa (5 characteristics)?

This aligns most closely with Manvantara/vaṃśānucarita-style narrative material that motivates divine intervention in history (events prompting restoration of order). While not a direct sarga/pratisarga statement, it functions as an etiological trigger within the Purāṇic historical-cosmic storyline.

What is the esoteric significance?

Symbolically, ‘many akṣauhiṇīs’ can represent proliferating forces of rajas (agitation) and tamas (inertia/weight) that cause consciousness/world-order to ‘sink.’ The appeal to the Devas signifies invoking higher sattvic intelligence and harmonizing power so that inner and outer śānti can arise.