Shloka 58

Adhyāya 123 — Droṇa’s Pedagogy: Arjuna’s Preeminence, Ekalavya’s Self-Training, and the Bhāsa-Lakṣya Trial

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मचारी बहुगुण: सुवर्णश्रेति विश्वुतः । विश्वावसुर्भुगन्युश्व सुचन्द्रश्न शरुस्तथा,भीमसेन तथा उग्रसेन, ऊर्णायु और अनघ, गोपति एवं धृतराष्ट्र, सूर्यवर्चा तथा आठवें युगप, तृणप, कार्ष्णि, नन्दि एवं चित्ररथ, तेरहवें शालिशिरा और चौदहवें पर्जन्य, पंद्रहवें कलि और सोलहवें नारद, ऋत्वा और बृहत्त्वा, बृहक एवं महामना कराल, ब्रह्मचारी तथा विख्यात गुणवान्‌ सुवर्ण, विश्वावसु एवं भुमन्यु, सुचन्द्र और शरु तथा गीतमाधुर्यसे सम्पन्न सुविख्यात हाहा और हूहू--राजन्‌! ये सब देवगन्धर्व वहाँ पधारे थे

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | brahmacārī bahuguṇaḥ suvarṇaśreṣṭhī viśrutaḥ | viśvāvāsur bhūmanyuś ca sucandraḥ śaruś tathā | bhīmasenaś ca ugrasenaḥ ūrṇāyuś cānaghaḥ | gopatiś ca dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ sūryavarcāś ca aṣṭamaḥ | yugapaḥ tṛṇapaḥ kārṣṇiḥ nandiś ca citrarathaḥ | trayodaśaḥ śāliśirāś caturdaśaḥ parjanyaḥ | pañcadaśaḥ kaliḥ ṣoḍaśaḥ nāradaḥ | ṛtvā ca bṛhattvā bṛhakaś ca mahāmanāḥ karālaḥ | hāhā hūhū ca gītamādhurya-sampannau suviśrutau | rājann ete sarve devagandharvāḥ tatra samāgatāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: O König, dorthin kamen viele göttliche Gandharvas—Brahmacārī; der tugendhafte und weithin berühmte Suvarṇaśreṣṭhī; Viśvāvasu; Bhūmanyu; Sucandra; Śaru; Bhīmasena; Ugrasena; Ūrṇāyu; Anagha; Gopati; Dhṛtarāṣṭra; Sūryavarcā; und weitere der Reihe nach—Yugapa, Tṛṇapa, Kārṣṇi, Nandi, Citraratha, Śāliśirā, Parjanya, Kali, Nārada, Ṛtvā, Bṛhattvā, Bṛhaka, der großgesinnte Karāla, sowie die berühmten Hāhā und Hūhū, begabt mit süßer Sangeskraft. So versammelten sich all diese himmlischen Musiker an jenem Ort.

Word by Word

ब्रह्मचारीBrahmacārin (celibate student)

बहुगुणःpossessing many virtues

सुवर्णश्रेतिSuvarṇaśreti (proper name)

विश्वुतःwell-known, renowned

विश्वावसुःViśvāvasu (proper name)

भुगन्युःBhuganyu (proper name)

सुचन्द्रःSucandra (proper name; 'good moon')

शरुःŚaru (proper name)

तथाand also

भीमसेनःBhīmasena (proper name)

तथाand also

उग्रसेनःUgrasena (proper name)

ऊर्णायुःŪrṇāyu (proper name)

अनघःAnagha (proper name; 'sinless')

गोपतिःGopati (proper name; 'lord of cows')

एवindeed/also

धृतराष्ट्रःDhṛtarāṣṭra (proper name)

सूर्यवर्चाःSūryavarcā (proper name; 'sun-bright')

तथाand also

अष्टमःthe eighth

युगपःYugapa (proper name)

तृणपःTṛṇapa (proper name)

कार्ष्णिःKārṣṇi (proper name; descendant of Kṛṣṇa)

नन्दिःNandi (proper name)

एवalso

चित्ररथःCitraratha (proper name)

त्रयोदशमःthe thirteenth

शालिशिराःŚāliśirā (proper name)

चतुर्दशमःthe fourteenth

पर्जन्यःParjanya (proper name)

पञ्चदशमःthe fifteenth

कलिःKali (proper name)

षोडशमःthe sixteenth

नारदःNārada (proper name)

ऋत्वाṚtvā (proper name)

बृहत्त्वाBṛhattvā (proper name)

बृहकःBṛhaka (proper name)

महामनाःgreat-minded

करालःKarāla (proper name)

ब्रह्मचारीBrahmacārin (proper name/repeated epithet)

विख्यातःcelebrated

गुणवान्virtuous, endowed with qualities

सुवर्णःSuvarṇa (proper name)

विश्वावसुःViśvāvasu (proper name; repeated)

भुमन्युःBhūmanyu (proper name; variant of Bhuganyu)

सुचन्द्रःSucandra (proper name; repeated)

शरुःŚaru (proper name; repeated)

तथाand also

गीतwith song

माधुर्यwith sweetness

सम्पन्नःendowed with

सुविख्यातःvery famous

हाहाHāhā (Gandharva name)

हूहूHūhū (Gandharva name)

राजन्O king

येwho/which (those who)

सर्वेall

देवगन्धर्वाःdivine Gandharvas

तत्रthere

समुपागताःhad arrived/assembled

आसन्were

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

King (Janamejaya, implied addressee)

Gandharvas

Brahmacārī

Suvarṇaśreṣṭhī

Viśvāvasu

Bhūmanyu

Sucandra

Śaru

Bhīmasena (Gandharva)

Ugrasena (Gandharva)

Ūrṇāyu

Anagha

Gopati

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Gandharva)

Sūryavarcā

Yugapa

Tṛṇapa

Kārṣṇi

Nandi

Citraratha

Śāliśirā

Parjanya

Kali (Gandharva)

Nārada (Gandharva name in this list)

Ṛ

Ṛtvā

Bṛhattvā

Bṛhaka

Karāla

Hāhā

Hūhū

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the epic motif that virtue, fame, and refined arts (especially music) are honored in divine society; it also underscores the ordered, communal nature of celestial gatherings, where renowned beings assemble for a larger dharmic narrative event.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana enumerates the Gandharvas who arrived at a particular venue, naming many celebrated celestial musicians (including Hāhā and Hūhū) to mark the grandeur of the assembly and the importance of the occasion.