Shloka 11

प्रलय-प्रक्रिया (Pralaya Process) — Guṇa-Withdrawal and Pratisaṃcara

Devanagari script

शक्र उवाच कथं त्वया बलिस्त्यक्त: किमर्थ वा शिखण्डिनि । कथं च मां न जह्यास्त्वं तन्मे ब्रूहि शुचिस्मिते

Transliteration

śakra uvāca kathaṃ tvayā balis tyaktaḥ kimarthaṃ vā śikhaṇḍini | kathaṃ ca māṃ na jahyās tvaṃ tan me brūhi śucismite ||

Translation

شَکر (اِندر) نے کہا— “اے گُندھے ہوئے بالوں والی! تم نے بَلی کو کیسے اور کس سبب سے ترک کیا؟ اے پاکیزہ مسکراہٹ والی! اور تم مجھے کس طرح ترک نہیں کرو گی—یہ مجھے بتاؤ۔”

Word by Word

• शक्रः: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कथम्: how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

• बलिः: Bali
• बलिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बलि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्यक्तः: abandoned, forsaken
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• किमर्थम्: for what reason, why
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किमर्थम्

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• शिखण्डिनि: O shikhaṇḍinī (O woman with a crest/tuft; epithet)
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिखण्डिन्
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• कथम्: how
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Accusative, Singular

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

• जह्याः: you would abandon / should abandon
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मे: to me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Dative, Singular

• ब्रूहि: tell
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperative (Lot), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शुचिस्मिते: O pure-smiling one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुचिस्मित
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

शक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• शक्र (Indra)
• बलि (Bali)
• शिखण्डिनी (epithet; addressed figure, commonly Śrī/Lakṣmī in this dialogue)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames prosperity (Śrī) as conditional rather than permanent: Indra asks why she left Bali and seeks assurance she will not leave him. The ethical implication is that sovereignty and success depend on sustaining dharma and right conduct; when those supports fail, fortune departs.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra (Śakra) addresses a divine feminine figure—described with epithets like “braided-haired” and “pure-smiling”—and questions her about her departure from King Bali. He then asks how she will refrain from abandoning him, seeking the reason and the principle governing her allegiance.