Shloka 4

अलोभोपाख्यानम् — शुनःसख-यातुधानी-संवादः

The Allegory of Non-Greed: Śunaḥsakha and the Yātudhānī

Devanagari script

अजीलण्णस्त्वभिहन्यन्ते ते देवा: पितृभि: सह । सोममेवाभ्यपद्यन्त तदा हुन्नाभिपीडिता:

Transliteration

ajīlaṇṇas tv abhihanyante te devāḥ pitṛbhiḥ saha | somam evābhyapadyanta tadā hunnābhipīḍitāḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“于是那些天神与祖灵同遭击倒。受压迫而痛苦不堪，当时他们唯有投奔苏摩（Soma）以求庇护。”

Word by Word

• अजीर्णाः: indigested / suffering from indigestion
• अजीर्णाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अजीर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• त्व्: but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• अभिहन्यन्ते: are struck / are afflicted
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-हन्
• Form: Present, Passive, Third, Plural

• ते: those
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• पितृभिः: with/by the Pitṛs (manes)
• पितृभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• सोमम्: Soma
• सोमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एव: indeed / only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• अभ्यपद्यन्त: they resorted to / approached for refuge
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-√पद्
• Form: Imperfect, Parasmaipada, Third, Plural

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• हूनाः: the Hūṇas (a people)
• हूनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हूण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अभिपीडिताः: oppressed / tormented
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-√पीड्
• Form: क्त, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Devāḥ (gods)
• Pitṛs (ancestors)
• Soma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When even powerful beings are overwhelmed, the proper response is to seek refuge in a higher sustaining principle (here, Soma), emphasizing dependence, humility, and the restorative role of sacred support.

What is happening in the narrative?

A crisis befalls the gods along with the Pitṛs; being struck and distressed, they turn to Soma as their protector and support, indicating a shift from struggle to supplication.