Shloka 24

मयेन सभानिर्माणम्

Maya’s Construction of the Assembly Hall

Devanagari script

अभिष्नतीव प्रभया प्रभामर्कस्य भास्वराम्‌,वह अपनी प्रभाद्वारा सूर्यदेवकी तेजोमयी प्रभासे टक्कर लेती थी

Transliteration

abhiṣṇatīva prabhayā prabhām arkasya bhāsvarām

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Ihr Glanz schien gegen die flammende Pracht der Sonne anzustoßen und sie beinahe zu übertreffen—so strahlend war das Licht, das von ihr ausging. Die Erzählung hebt hervor, wie außergewöhnliche Leuchtkraft und Majestät fast übermenschlich erscheinen können, Staunen wecken und zugleich die Macht und das Ansehen ahnen lassen, die königliche Gestalten im Rahmen der Sabha umgeben.

Word by Word

• अभिष्णतीव: as if overpowering / as if outshining
• अभिष्णतीव: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभिष्णती (स्त्री. प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if, like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• प्रभया: by (her/its) radiance
• प्रभया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रभाम्: radiance, splendor
• प्रभाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अर्कस्य: of the Sun
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्क
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• भास्वराम्: bright, radiant
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भास्वर
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Arka (the Sun)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the cultural-ethical idea that visible splendor (tejas, prabhā) signifies exceptional status and potency; it evokes reverence and caution, reminding the audience that power and prestige can overwhelm ordinary perception and shape conduct in a royal assembly.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana describes a figure/object in the Sabha context whose brilliance is so intense that it appears to contend with the Sun’s own radiance, emphasizing the extraordinary magnificence present in the scene.