नूनं बतायं भगवानर्थेषु न निष्णातो योऽसाविन्द्रो यस्य सचिवो मन्त्राय वृत एकान्ततो बृहस्पतिस्तमतिहाय स्वयमुपेन्द्रेणात्मानमयाचतात्मनश्चाशिषो नो एव तद्दास्यमतिगम्भीरवयस: कालस्य मन्वन्तरपरिवृत्तं कियल्लोकत्रयमिदम् ॥ २४ ॥
nunam batayam bhagavan arthesu na nisnato yo ’sav indro yasya sacivo mantraya vrta ekantato brhaspatis tam atihaya svayam upendrenatmanam ayacatatmanas casiso no eva tad-dasyam ati-gambhira-vayasah kalasya manvantara-parivrttam kiyal loka-trayam idam.
- nunam
- certainly
- bata
- alas
- ayam
- this
- bhagavan
- very learned
- arthesu
- in self-interest
- na
- not
- nisnatah
- very experienced
- yah
- who
- asau
- the King of heaven
- indrah
- Indra
- yasya
- of whom
- sacivah
- the prime minister
- mantraya
- for giving instructions
- vrtah
- chosen
- ekantatah
- alone
- brhaspatih
- named Brhaspati
- tam
- him
- atihaya
- ignoring
- svayam
- personally
- upendrena
- by means of Upendra (Lord Vamanadeva)
- atmanam
- myself
- ayacata
- requested
- atmanah
- for himself
- ca
- and
- asisah
- blessings (the three worlds)
- no
- not
- eva
- certainly
- tat-dasyam
- the loving service of the Lord
- ati
- very
- gambhira-vayasah
- having an insurmountable duration
- kalasya
- of time
- manvantara-parivrttam
- changed by the end of a life of a Manu
- kiyat
- what is the value of
- loka-trayam
- three worlds
- idam
- these
Alas, how pitiable it is for Indra, the King of heaven, that although he is very learned and powerful and although he chose Brhaspati as his prime minister to instruct him, he is completely ignorant concerning spiritual advancement. Brhaspati is also unintelligent because he did not properly instruct his disciple Indra. Lord Vamanadeva was standing at Indra’s door, but King Indra, instead of begging Him for an opportunity to render transcendental loving service, engaged Him in asking me for alms to gain the three worlds for his sense gratification. Sovereignty over the three worlds is very insignificant because whatever material opulence one may possess lasts only for an age of Manu, which is but a tiny fraction of endless time.