Shloka 11

अक्षद्यूतप्रवेशः — Kali’s Entry and the Initiation of the Dice-Contest

Devanagari script

धर्मात्मानं महात्मानं दैत्यदानवमर्दनम्‌ | महेन्द्र सर्वदेवानां का त॑ न वरयेत्‌ पतिम्‌,'दैत्यों और दानवोंका मर्दन करनेवाले धर्मात्मा महामना सर्वदेवेश्वर महेन्द्रका कौन नारी पतिरूपमें वरण न करेगी?

Transliteration

dharmātmānaṃ mahātmānaṃ daityadānavamardanam | mahendraṃ sarvadevānāṃ kā tāṃ na varayet patim ||

Translation

Sinong babae ang hindi pipili kay Mahendra (Indra) bilang asawa—ang may pusong matuwid, dakila ang loob, tagapagdurog sa mga Daitya at Dānava, at hari ng lahat ng diyos?

Word by Word

• धर्मात्मानम्: righteous-souled
• धर्मात्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महात्मानम्: great-souled
• महात्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दैत्यदानवमर्दनम्: slayer of Daityas and Dānavas
• दैत्यदानवमर्दनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दैत्य-दानव-मर्दन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महेन्द्रम्: Mahendra (Indra)
• महेन्द्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सर्वदेवानाम्: of all the gods
• सर्वदेवानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वदेव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• का: which (woman)? / who (female)?
• का: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• वरयेत्: would choose
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृ (वरणे)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पतिम्: husband
• पतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

बृहदश्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

• बृहदश्व (Bṛhadaśva)
• महेन्द्र/इन्द्र (Mahendra/Indra)
• दैत्य (Daityas)
• दानव (Dānavas)
• सर्वदेव (the gods collectively)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links worthiness for marital choice with ethical and protective excellence: a ruler who is dharmic, magnanimous, and a defender against destructive forces is naturally regarded as the most desirable partner and leader.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bṛhadaśva, while narrating, extols Indra (Mahendra) as the righteous, great-souled king of the gods and conqueror of Daityas and Dānavas, implying that any woman would choose him as husband.