Lokapāla-samāgamaḥ—Arjuna Receives Astras from the World-Guardians
Book 3, Chapter 42
तत्र नागा महाकाया ज्वलितास्या: सुदारुणा: । सिताभ्रकूटप्रतिमा: संहताश्च॒ तथोपला:,उस स्थानमें अत्यन्त भयंकर तथा प्रज्वलित मुखवाले विशालकाय सर्प मौजूद थे। श्वेत बादलोंके समूहकी भाँति ढेर-के-ढेर युद्धमें फेंकनेयोग्य पत्थर भी रखे हुए थे
tatra nāgā mahākāyā jvalitāsyāḥ sudāruṇāḥ | sitābhrakūṭapratimāḥ saṃhatāś ca tathopalāḥ ||
তাত অতি ভয়ংকৰ, জ্বলি থকা মুখবিশিষ্ট মহাকায় নাগ আছিল; আৰু শ্বেত মেঘগুচ্ছৰ দৰে একেলগে গোটোৱা, যুদ্ধত নিক্ষেপযোগ্য শিলৰ ঢিপোও তাত ৰখা আছিল।
वैशम्पायन उवाच
The verse primarily heightens the sense of danger in the setting: nature itself (serpents, rock-heaps like missiles) becomes an obstacle. Ethically, it underscores vigilance and steadiness when moving through threatening environments, where fear and violence are latent.
Vaiśampāyana describes a particular location encountered in the story: it is inhabited by enormous, fearsome serpents with flaming mouths, and it contains piled stones compared to white cloud-masses—suggesting a terrain prepared for or reminiscent of conflict.