Shloka 423

Devanagari script

भयादू रणं परित्यज्य शक्रमेवाभिशिश्रियु: । बहुत-से देवता बार-बार प्रयत्न करनेपर भी कभी सफलमनोरथ न हो सके। उनकी आशा टूट गयी और वे भयके मारे युद्ध छोड़कर इन्द्रकी ही शरणमें चले गये

Transliteration

bhayād raṇaṃ parityajya śakram evābhiśiśriyuḥ |

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说：他们因恐惧而弃战场，唯独投奔释迦（因陀罗）求庇护。纵使许多天神一再竭力，也终究未能达成所愿；希望尽碎，惊惶之下，他们退出战斗，归依因陀罗。

Word by Word

• भयात्: from fear / out of fear
• भयात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• रणम्: battle, war
• रणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• परित्यज्य: having abandoned / leaving behind
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-त्यज्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Active

• शक्रम्: Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed, just, only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• अभिशिश्रियुः: they took refuge (in) / they resorted to
• अभिशिश्रियुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-श्रि
• Form: Liṭ (Perfect), Parasmaipada, Third, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Śakra (Indra)
• devatāḥ (the gods/deities)
• raṇa (battlefield)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Fear can cause even powerful beings to abandon their duty; when one’s own effort fails, seeking refuge in a higher protector or rightful leader becomes the chosen course. The verse highlights the ethical tension between perseverance in conflict and retreat for safety under legitimate shelter.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the midst of a battle, many deities repeatedly try to achieve their objective but fail. Their hopes collapse, and, frightened, they leave the battlefield and take shelter with Śakra (Indra).