Shloka 28

Origins of the Maruts — Origins of the Maruts Across the Manvantaras (Pulastya–Narada Dialogue)

Devanagari script

तत्र तप्यन्ति हि तपः क्रतुध्वजसुता महत् यथा हि तपसो विघ्नं तेषां भवति सुन्दरि

Transliteration

tatra tapyanti hi tapaḥ kratudhvajasutā mahat yathā hi tapaso vighnaṃ teṣāṃ bhavati sundari

Translation

وہاں، اے کرتُدھوج کی بیٹی، وہ عظیم تپسیا کر رہے ہیں۔ پس اے حسین، ان کی تپسیا میں رکاوٹ بن جا۔

Speakers

• Śakra (Indra) addressing Pūtanā (called ‘daughter of Kratudhvaja’)

Primary Deities

• Indra (Śakra)

Key Themes

• Tapas (austerity) and its power
• Devas obstructing ascetic merit
• Mythic motif of ‘tapas-vighna’ (temptation/obstruction)
• Conflict between divine sovereignty and ascetic attainment

Verse Rasa (Emotional Flavour)

{ "primaryRasa": "bhayanaka", "secondaryRasa": "raudra", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

FAQs

Why does Indra seek to obstruct the ascetics’ tapas in Purāṇic narratives?

Indra’s kingship is repeatedly portrayed as vulnerable to the accumulated ‘tapas-tejas’ of sages; when austerities threaten to produce boons, weapons, or sovereignty-shifting powers, Indra deploys agents to create ‘vighna’ (obstruction), a standard Purāṇic motif.

Who is ‘Kratudhvajasutā’ here?

It is an epithet identifying Pūtanā by lineage—‘daughter of Kratudhvaja.’ The verse uses it as a vocative address, functioning to situate her within a mythic genealogy and to mark her as an empowered agent suitable for disrupting tapas.

What is the implied ethical tension in this verse?

The verse frames a clash between ascetic dharma (tapas as spiritual discipline) and political-cosmic preservation (Indra’s fear of displacement). Purāṇas often use this tension to highlight both the potency of tapas and the instability of worldly power.