Shloka 33

Gaṅgādvāra-tīrtha, Ulūpī-saṃvāda, and Arjuna’s Dharma-Deliberation (गङ्गाद्वार-तीर्थम्, उलूपी-संवादः)

Devanagari script

विविधैरपि निर्विद्धिः शस्त्रोपेतै: सुसंवृतैः: । शक्तिभिश्षावृतं तद्धि द्विजिद्वैरिव पन्नगै:,नाना प्रकारके अभेद्य तथा सब ओरसे घिरे हुए शस्त्रागारोंमें शस्त्र संग्रह करके रखे गये थे। नगरके चारों ओर हाथसे चलायी जानेवाली लोहेकी शक्तियाँ तैयार करके रखी गयी थीं, जो दो जीभोंवाले साँपोंके समान जान पड़ती थीं। इन सबके द्वारा उस नगरकी सुरक्षा की गयी थी

Transliteration

vividhair api nirviddhiḥ śastropetaiḥ susaṃvṛtaiḥ | śaktibhiḥ śāvṛtaṃ taddhi dvijidvair iva pannagaiḥ ||

Translation

Vāyu sprach: „Wisset, dass sie auf vielerlei Weise gesichert war—wohl umschlossen und mit Waffen versehen. Wahrlich, die Feste war ringsum mit eisernen Wurfspießen und Geschossen umstellt, gleich zweizüngigen Schlangen; durch solche Vorkehrungen blieb die Verteidigung der Stadt fest gegründet.“

Word by Word

विविधैःby various (means)

अपिalso/even

निर्विद्धिःimpregnable protection/fortification

शस्त्र-उपेतैःequipped with weapons

सु-संवृतैःwell-enclosed/securely covered

शक्तिभिःwith spears/javelins (śakti-weapons)

आवृतम्covered/surrounded

तत्that (city/fort)

हिindeed/for

द्वि-जिह्वैःwith two-tongued (ones)

इवlike/as

पन्नगैःby serpents

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

व

वायुदेव (Vāyu)

श

शस्त्र (weapons/armaments)

श

शक्ति (śakti-javelins/spears)

प

पन्नग (serpents)

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 underscores prudent preparedness: protection of a city or polity is sustained by layered defenses and disciplined readiness, not by complacency. Ethically, it reflects the kṣatriya duty of safeguarding people through foresight and proper organization.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu describes a fortified settlement/stronghold as being thoroughly secured—its armories well stocked and its perimeter surrounded with ready weapons (śakti-javelins), compared to two-tongued serpents encircling it—emphasizing the intensity of its defensive arrangements.