Shloka 29

प्रभासे कृष्णार्जुनसमागमः तथा द्वारकाप्रवेशः | Kṛṣṇa–Arjuna Meeting at Prabhāsa and Entry into Dvārakā

Devanagari script

तथा देवनिकायानां महर्षीणां च सर्वश: । मुखानि चाभ्यवर्तन्त येन याति तिलोत्तमा,दूसरे-दूसरे देवताओं और महर्षियोंके मुख भी जिस ओर तिलोत्तमा जाती थी, उसी ओर घूम जाते थे

Transliteration

tathā devanikāyānāṃ maharṣīṇāṃ ca sarvaśaḥ | mukhāni cābhyavartanta yena yāti tilottamā ||

Translation

Nārada sprach: Ebenso wandten sich die Gesichter der Scharen der Götter und der großen Rishis, ohne jede Ausnahme, in die Richtung, in die Tilottamā sich bewegte—so überwältigend war ihre Schönheit, dass selbst die Selbstbeherrschten ihre Aufmerksamkeit hinter ihr hergezogen fühlten.

Word by Word

तथाthus, in that manner

देव-निकायानाम्of the groups of gods

महर्षीणाम्of the great sages

चand

सर्वशःentirely, in every way

मुखानिfaces

चalso/and

अभ्यवर्तन्तturned (towards), revolved

येनin which direction/whereby

यातिgoes

तिलोत्तमाTilottamā (the apsaras)

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Tilottamā

Devas (hosts of gods)

Maharṣis (great seers)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how powerful sensory attraction can be: even exalted beings like gods and great seers are depicted as involuntarily turning toward Tilottamā. Implicitly, it underscores the ethical value of vigilance and self-mastery in the face of temptation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada describes Tilottamā’s extraordinary allure: as she walks, the assembled gods and maharṣis turn their faces in the very direction she goes, indicating that everyone’s attention follows her movement.