Shloka 10

समुद्रपानम् (Samudra-pānam) — Maitrāvaruṇi Drains the Ocean; Devas Seek a Means to Refill It

Devanagari script

न तु शक्या: क्षयं नेतुं समुद्राभ्रयगा हि ते । समुद्रस्य क्षये बुद्धिर्भवद्धि: सम्प्रधार्यताम्‌,उन दानवोंका संहार नहीं किया जा सकता; क्योंकि वे दुर्गम समुद्रके आश्रयमें रहते हैं। अतः तुम-लोगोंको समुद्रको सुखानेका विचार करना चाहिये

Transliteration

na tu śakyāḥ kṣayaṃ netuṃ samudrābhrayagā hi te | samudrasya kṣaye buddhir bhavadbhiḥ sampradhāryatām ||

Translation

แต่จะกำจัดพวกเขาให้สิ้นไปนั้นหาได้ไม่ เพราะพวกเขาอาศัยอยู่ใต้ที่พึ่งแห่งมหาสมุทรอันเข้าถึงได้ยาก ฉะนั้นพวกท่านพึงใคร่ครวญอุบายที่จะทำให้ทะเลเหือดแห้ง

Word by Word

नnot

तुbut/however

शक्याःpossible/able (to be done)

क्षयम्destruction, end

नेतुम्to lead/bring (to), to cause

समुद्र-आश्रय-गाःdwelling in/going to the refuge of the ocean

हिindeed, for

तेthey/those

समुद्रस्यof the ocean

क्षयेin (the matter of) drying up/destruction

बुद्धिःidea, plan, resolve

भवद्भिःby you (honorific plural)

सम्प्रधार्यताम्let it be well considered/decided

Speaker

लोगश उवाच

Characters & Entities

samudra (ocean)

dānava (demons) (implied by context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When direct force cannot reach an adversary protected by an unassailable refuge, one must rethink the means—using careful deliberation and strategic adaptation rather than futile aggression.

What is happening in the narrative?

A counselor (Lokasha) explains that the Dānavas cannot be slain because they are sheltered by the ocean; he advises the listeners to consider an alternative plan—drying up the sea—to remove that protection.