Shloka 21

Plakṣaprasravaṇa–Kārapacana tīrtha-varṇana and Nārada’s war briefing (Śalya-parva, Adhyāya 53)

Devanagari script

अपि चात्र स्वयं शक्रो जगौ गाथां सुराधिप:

Transliteration

api cātra svayaṃ śakro jagau gāthāṃ surādhipaḥ

Translation

Hơn nữa, ngay trong mạch chuyện ấy, chính Śakra—chúa tể chư thiên—đã cất lên một bài gāthā (kệ cổ), gợi lại lời phán thiêng liêng đã được truyền nhớ, để đặt khuôn cho lời khuyên sắp tới bằng uy lực đạo đức và thẩm quyền.

Word by Word

• अपि: also, even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

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

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र

• स्वयम्: himself
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वयम्

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

• जगौ: sang, recited
• Type: Verb
• Root: गै
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular

• गाथाम्: a verse, song
• गाथाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाथा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सुराधिपः: lord of the gods
• सुराधिपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुराधिप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Rāma (speaker)
• Śakra (Indra)
• Surādhipa (lord of the gods, epithet of Indra)
• Gāthā (didactic verse)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse signals that the guidance to follow is grounded in an authoritative, time-tested maxim: a divine gāthā attributed to Indra. Ethically, it frames the forthcoming instruction as aligned with dharma and traditional wisdom rather than mere personal opinion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Rāma introduces a remembered episode or precedent: Indra himself once recited a gāthā in this kind of situation. This serves as a transition into quoting that verse, strengthening the persuasive force of the counsel being delivered.