Shloka 8
Upaśruti Guides Indrāṇī to Indra; Indrāṇī Reports Nahuṣa’s Misconduct (उपश्रुति-इन्द्राणी-इन्द्रदर्शन प्रसङ्गः)
तत्रापश्यत् सरो दिव्यं नानाशकुनिभिर्व॒तम् । शतयोजनविस्तीर्ण तावदेवायतं शुभम्
tatrāpaśyat saro divyaṁ nānāśakunibhir vṛtam | śatayojanavistīrṇaṁ tāvadevāyataṁ śubham ||
Dort erblickte er einen himmlischen See, erfüllt von vielerlei Vögeln. Diese glückverheißende, schöne Wasserfläche erstreckte sich hundert Yojanas in der Breite und ebenso in der Länge—eine wunderbare, jenseitige Landschaft, die für einen Augenblick den angespannten diplomatischen und kriegerischen Strömungen des Udyoga Parva entgegensteht.
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights śubha (auspiciousness) and adbhuta (wonder) through a vision of a vast, bird-filled divine lake. In the Udyoga Parva’s pre-war atmosphere, such imagery can function as a moral and emotional counterpoint—reminding the listener of the world’s beauty and order even as human choices move toward conflict.
Śalya describes what he sees on the way: a celestial lake, filled with many kinds of birds, astonishingly vast—one hundred yojanas across and equally long—marking a notable, wondrous स्थल (scene) within his travel description.