Shloka 32

Devanagari script

कालदण्डं यमो राजन्‌ गदां चैव धनेश्वर: | पाशांश्व तत्र वरुणो विचित्रां च तथाशनिम्‌,राजन्‌! यमराजने कालदण्ड, कुबेरने गदा तथा वरुणने पाश और विचित्र वज्र हाथमें ले लिये

Transliteration

kāladaṇḍaṃ yamo rājan gadāṃ caiva dhaneśvaraḥ | pāśāṃś ca tatra varuṇo vicitrāṃ ca tathāśanim ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „O König, Yama nahm seinen Stab der Zeit und der Strafe; der Herr des Reichtums (Kubera) ergriff seine Keule; und Varuṇa dort nahm seine Schlingen, dazu einen wunderbaren Donnerkeil.“

Word by Word

• कालदण्डम्: the staff of Time (death-staff)
• कालदण्डम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कालदण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यमः: Yama
• यमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• गदाम्: a mace
• गदाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गदा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• धनेश्वरः: the lord of wealth (Kubera)
• धनेश्वरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनेश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पाशान्: nooses
• पाशान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• वरुणः: Varuṇa
• वरुणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• विचित्राम्: variegated/wondrous
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विचित्र
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• तथा: likewise/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• अशनिम्: thunderbolt
• अशनिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अशनि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Yama
• Kubera (Dhaneśvara)
• Varuṇa
• kāladaṇḍa (staff of Time/punishment)
• gadā (mace)
• pāśa (noose)
• aśani (thunderbolt)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That dharma is upheld through defined cosmic roles: each guardian deity bears a specific emblem of authority—punishment, restraint, or force—signifying that moral order is maintained by appropriate means, not arbitrary power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana describes deities preparing themselves by taking up their characteristic weapons—Yama his kāladaṇḍa, Kubera his mace, and Varuṇa his nooses and a wondrous thunderbolt—indicating readiness to act in a consequential situation.