Shloka 33

Devanagari script

अक्षेषु मृगयायां च पाने स्त्रीषु च वीर्यवान्‌

Transliteration

akṣeṣu mṛgayāyāṃ ca pāne strīṣu ca vīryavān |

Translation

遮婆那说道：“纵是勇力之人，也会因欲而醉：在赌博中，在狩猎中，在饮酒中，在女色中。”

Word by Word

• अक्षेषु: in dice/gambling
• अक्षेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• मृगयायाम्: in hunting
• मृगयायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृगया
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

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

• पाने: in drinking (liquor)
• पाने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पान
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• स्त्रीषु: among women / in women
• स्त्रीषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

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

• वीर्यवान्: the powerful/valiant one
• वीर्यवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वीर्यवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

च्यवन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Chyavana
• Indra
• Aśvinīkumāras
• Soma (Soma-rasa)
• dice/gambling (akṣa)
• hunting (mṛgayā)
• intoxicating drink (pāna)
• women (strī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even the strong can fall into delusion through four common avenues—gambling, hunting as obsession, intoxicating drink, and uncontrolled sensuality. The verse functions as an ethical caution emphasizing restraint (dama) and vigilance over desire.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Indra submits to Chyavana’s authority, the sage ensures the Aśvinīkumāras receive a rightful share of Soma in the sacrifice and then concludes the rite. The statement about gambling, hunting, drinking, and women frames the episode with a moral warning about the typical causes of intoxication and downfall.