Shloka 29

Devanagari script

राहुरग्रसदादित्यमपर्वणि विशाम्पते । उल्का चाप्यपसव्येन पुरं कृत्वा व्यशीर्यत

Transliteration

rāhur agrasad ādityam aparvaṇi viśāmpate | ulkā cāpy apasavyena puraṃ kṛtvā vyaśīryata ||

Translation

毗度罗说道：“噢，民之主！罗睺在不祥之时吞噬了太阳；又有炽燃的流星循左行之凶轨绕城而转——继而碎裂。此皆征兆，警示当君主背离正行、失却审慎自制之时，祸乱与灾厄将迫近。”

Word by Word

• राहुः: Rahu
• राहुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राहु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अग्रसत्: swallowed, devoured
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रस्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• आदित्यम्: the Sun (Aditya)
• आदित्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आदित्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अपर्वणि: at an unseasonable time (not on the proper lunar day)
• अपर्वणि: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर्वन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• विशाम्पते: O lord of the people
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाम्पति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• उल्का: a meteor, fireball
• उल्का: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उल्का
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

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

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• अपसव्येन: in a leftward/inauspicious direction (counterclockwise)
• अपसव्येन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपसव्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• पुरम्: the city
• पुरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कृत्वा: having made, having done
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा), Parasmaipada (usage)

• व्यशीर्यत्: was shattered, broke apart
• Type: Verb
• Root: शीॄ (शीर्ण/शीर्यते)
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

Speaker

विदुर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vidura
• Rāhu
• Āditya (Sun)
• ulkā (meteor)
• pura (city)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vidura uses ominous celestial signs to urge the king toward dharmic governance and restraint: when leadership becomes unrighteous or heedless, nature itself is described as signaling danger, prompting timely correction before disaster.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vidura reports frightening portents—an untimely eclipse-like seizure of the Sun by Rāhu and a meteor moving in an inauspicious leftward course around the city—interpreting them as warnings of imminent ruin in the political situation.