Shloka 29

Devanagari script

जिद्दामूले स्थितास्तस्य सर्वे देवा: सवासवा: । तिमेरास्यमनुप्राप्ता यथा मत्स्या महार्णवे

Transliteration

jihvāmūle sthitās tasya sarve devāḥ savāsavāḥ | timerāsyam anuprāptā yathā matsyā mahārṇave ||

Translation

遮婆那说道：“诸天连同因陀罗，都滞留在它舌根之处，正如大海中的鱼群落入那名为‘提弥’的巨海兽之口。”

Word by Word

• जिह्वा-मूले: at the root of the tongue
• जिह्वा-मूले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जिह्वा-मूल
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• स्थिताः: standing / stationed
• स्थिताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु) → स्थित (क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तस्य: of him / of that (being)
• तस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• देवाः: gods
• देवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स-वासवाः: together with Vāsava (Indra)
• स-वासवाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वासव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तिमि-रास्यम्: the mouth of the Timi (great fish)
• तिमि-रास्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिमि-आस्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अनुप्राप्ताः: having reached / having come into
• अनुप्राप्ताः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: anu-√प्राप् (धातु) → अनुप्राप्त (क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यथा: just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• मत्स्याः: fishes
• मत्स्याः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• महा-अर्णवे: in the great ocean
• महा-अर्णवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-अर्णव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

Speaker

च्यवन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Cyavana (Chyavana)
• Indra (Vāsava)
• Devas
• Timi (sea-creature)
• Mahārṇava (great ocean)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses a vivid simile to show how quickly power can collapse into vulnerability. Ethically, it cautions against arrogance and disrespect—especially toward sages and dharma—since the consequences can overwhelm even the gods, forcing humility and the search for reconciliation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Cyavana describes a terrifying being (contextually, Mad) before whom the gods, including Indra, are trapped at the base of its tongue. Their predicament is compared to fish swallowed by the great sea-creature Timi in the ocean, emphasizing their helplessness and imminent danger.