Shloka 9

Paurava-vaṃśa-kathana (Account of the Paurava Lineage) | महाभारत आदि पर्व अध्याय ८९

Devanagari script

दृष्टवा च त्वां धिछितं देवमार्गे शक्रार्कविष्णुप्रतिमप्रभावम्‌ । अभ्युद्गतास्त्वां वयमद्य सर्वे तत्त्वं प्रपाते तव जिज्ञासमाना:

Transliteration

dṛṣṭvā ca tvāṁ dhikṣitaṁ devamārge śakrārkaviṣṇupratimaprabhāvam | abhyudgatās tvāṁ vayam adya sarve tattvaṁ prapāte tava jijñāsamānāḥ ||

Translation

تمہیں دیوتاؤں کے راستے پر قائم دیکھ کر—شکر، سورج اور وِشنو کے مانند جلال و اثر رکھنے والا—ہم سب آج تمہارے پاس آئے ہیں۔ ہم تمہارے اس سقوط کی حقیقی وجہ، اس نزول کے پسِ پردہ حقیقت جاننا چاہتے ہیں۔

Word by Word

• {'dṛṣṭvā': 'having seen', 'ca': 'and', 'tvām': 'you', 'dhikṣitam': 'placed/positioned

• stationed (in a fixed state)', 'devamārge': 'on the divine path

• in the way/region of the gods', 'śakra': 'Indra', 'arka': 'the Sun', 'viṣṇu': 'Viṣṇu', 'pratima': 'comparable to

• resembling', 'prabhāva': 'power, majesty, splendor, influence', 'abhyudgatāḥ': 'having come forth/approached

• having risen up to meet', 'vayam': 'we', 'adya': 'today, now', 'sarve': 'all', 'tattvam': 'the truth

• the real principle/cause', 'prapāte': 'in (your) fall/descent', 'tava': 'your', 'jijñāsamānāḥ': 'desiring to know

Speaker

अट्क उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Aṭka
• Indra (Śakra)
• Sūrya (Arka)
• Viṣṇu
• devamārga (the divine path)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even one who appears godlike in power and radiance is still subject to moral causality; therefore the wise inquire into the true cause (tattva) behind rise and fall, emphasizing accountability and the ethical logic of karma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Aṭka addresses a luminous being seen on the divine path, whose splendor resembles Indra, the Sun, and Viṣṇu. Aṭka and others approach to ask why this person has fallen/descended and to learn the real reason behind that fall.