Shloka 9

अग्निभय-प्रसङ्गे मन्दपालस्य शोकः

Mandapāla’s Lament amid the Threat of Fire

Devanagari script

देवदानवगन्धर्व: पूजितं शाश्वती: समा: । प्रादाच्चैव धनूरत्नमक्षय्ये च महेषुधी

Transliteration

devadānavagandharvaiḥ pūjitaṃ śāśvatīḥ samāḥ | prādāccaiva dhanuratnam akṣayye ca maheṣudhī ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Von Göttern, Dānavas und Gandharvas durch unzählige Jahre geehrt, verlieh er auch einen bogenhaften Edelstein—einen Juwelenbogen—samt zwei großen, unerschöpflichen Köchern: Gaben, die dauernde Gunst und die Übertragung kriegerischer Verantwortung bedeuten.“

Word by Word

देवदानवगन्धर्वाःthe gods, demons, and gandharvas

पूजितम्honoured, worshipped

शाश्वतीःeternal, perpetual

समाःyears

प्रादात्gave

चand

एवindeed, just

धनुःरत्नम्a jewel-like bow (excellent bow)

अक्षय्येin the two inexhaustible (ones)

चand

महेषुधीin the two great quivers

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Devas

Dānavas

Gandharvas

dhanus-ratna (precious bow)

akṣayya maheṣudhī (two inexhaustible great quivers)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Honour from diverse cosmic communities and the bestowal of extraordinary weapons together imply that power is not merely privilege but a charge: the recipient is expected to uphold kṣatriya responsibility and use strength in alignment with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator reports that the figure being described was revered for ages by Devas, Dānavas, and Gandharvas, and that he received (or was granted) a precious bow and two inexhaustible great quivers—marking divine/extraordinary empowerment for heroic action.