Shloka 216

Adhyāya 223: Nāradasya Guṇa-kathana

Catalogue of Nārada’s Virtues

Devanagari script

ननृतुस्तत्र गन्धर्वा: घट सहस्राणि सप्तधा | एक समय था

Transliteration

nanṛtus tatra gandharvāḥ ghaṭa-sahasrāṇi saptadhā |

Translation

Śakra sprach: „Dort tanzten die Gandharvas — zu Tausenden — in sieben Gruppen geordnet. Einst war über dir ein gewaltiger, aus Gold gefertigter und mit Edelsteinen besetzter Schirm ausgebreitet, während sechstausend Gandharvas, in den sieben Tönen singend, vor dir ihre Tanzkunst entfalteten.“

Word by Word

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• ननृतुः: danced
• Type: Verb
• Root: नृत्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, plural, Parasmaipada

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

• गन्धर्वाः: Gandharvas
• गन्धर्वाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• घट: a pot; (here likely a scribal/reading issue)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घट
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• सहस्राणि: thousands
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र
• Form: neuter, nominative, plural

• सप्तधा: sevenfold; in seven ways
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सप्तधा

Speaker

शक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śakra (Indra)
• Gandharvas
• golden jeweled parasol (royal canopy)
• seven musical notes (sapta-svara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse evokes former royal/celestial honors—canopy, music, and dance—to underline the fragility of worldly glory. Such splendor is contingent on karma and time; ethical steadiness and humility are implied as more reliable than status and display.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śakra (Indra) recalls a past scene of magnificence: Gandharvas in vast numbers perform music and dance before the addressed person, with a jeweled golden parasol held overhead—an image of high sovereignty and honor being described or contrasted with a changed present.