Shloka 16

Bhīmasena’s Capture by the Serpent and Nahūṣa’s Self-Disclosure (भीमसेन-भुजङ्गग्रहणं नहुषोपाख्यानप्रस्तावः)

Devanagari script

ततो वायुर्महाराज दिव्यैर्माल्यै: सुगन्धिभि: अभित: पाण्डवं चित्रैरवचक्रे समन्ततः,महाराज! तदनन्तर वायुदेव पाण्डुनन्दन अर्जुनपर सब ओरसे विचित्र सुगन्धित दिव्य मालाओंकी वृष्टि करने लगे

Transliteration

tato vāyur mahārāja divyair mālyaiḥ sugandhibhiḥ | abhitaḥ pāṇḍavaṃ citrair avacakre samantataḥ ||

Translation

قال فايشَمبايانا: ثم، أيها الملك العظيم، أحاط الإله فايُو (Vāyu) بذلك الباندفي من كل جانب، وأمطر عليه من حوله أكاليلَ سماويةً عجيبةً زكيةَ العطر. وكان المشهد علامةَ رضا وحمايةٍ إلهيين، كأن سعي أرجونا يُشاهَد ويُكرَّم من قوى أعلى، مؤكِّدًا أن الجهد المنضبط الموافق للدارما يجتذب عونًا مباركًا.

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

वायुःthe Wind-god (Vayu)

महाराजO great king

दिव्यैःwith divine

माल्यैःgarlands

सुगन्धिभिःfragrant

अभितःaround, on all sides

पाण्डवम्the Pandava (Arjuna)

चित्रैःvariegated, wondrous

अवचक्रेcovered/encircled (made a surrounding)

समन्ततःon every side, all around

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Vāyu (Wind-god)

Mahārāja (Janamejaya, implied addressee)

Pāṇḍava (Arjuna)

divine fragrant garlands (divyāni sugandhīni mālyāni)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse conveys that when a hero’s effort is aligned with dharma and disciplined purpose, auspicious signs and divine support may manifest—here symbolized by Vāyu’s fragrant celestial garlands encircling Arjuna.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Vāyu, the Wind-god, causes a wondrous shower of fragrant divine garlands all around the Pāṇḍava (Arjuna), surrounding him from every side as a mark of honor and protection.