Shloka 34

Lokapāla-samāgamaḥ—Arjuna Receives Astras from the World-Guardians

Book 3, Chapter 42

Devanagari script

दीपवद्‌ विप्रकृष्टत्वात्‌ तनूनि सुमहान्त्यपि । तानि तत्र प्रभास्वन्ति रूपवन्ति च पाण्डव:,वहाँ स्वर्गके निवासी अपने पुण्यकर्मोसे प्राप्त हुई अपनी ही प्रभासे प्रकाशित होते हैं। यहाँ प्रकाशमान तारोंके रूपमें जो दूर होनेके कारण दीपककी भाँति छोटे और बड़े प्रकाशपुंज दिखायी देते हैं, उन सभी प्रकाशमान स्वरूपोंको पाण्डुनन्दन अर्जुनने देखा। जो अपने-अपने अधिष्ठानोंमें अपनी ही ज्योतिसे देदीप्यमान हो रहे थे। उन लोकोंमें वे सिद्ध राजर्षि वीर निवास करते थे, जो युद्धमें प्राण देकर वहाँ पहुँचे थे

Transliteration

dīpavad viprakṛṣṭatvāt tanūni sumahānty api | tāni tatra prabhāsvanti rūpavanti ca pāṇḍavāḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: Wegen der Ferne erscheinen selbst sehr große Körper wie Lampen—als kleine Lichtpunkte. Dort leuchten jene Gestalten in eigener Strahlkraft; und die Pāṇḍavas sahen sie als lichtvolle, schöne Gegenwarten.

Word by Word

दीपवत्like a lamp

विप्रकृष्टत्वात्because of distance

तनूनिsmall, minute

सुमहान्तिvery great (even)

अपिeven/also

तानिthose (things/forms)

तत्रthere

प्रभास्वन्तिshining, luminous

रूपवन्तिbeautiful, having form

चand

पाण्डवाःthe Pandavas

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pāṇḍavas

lamp (dīpa) as simile

distant luminous bodies (star-like forms)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links radiance with ethical causality: beings in higher realms are depicted as shining by their own acquired merit (puṇya). It also teaches discernment about perception—greatness may appear small when viewed from afar, so one should not judge reality solely by outward appearance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a vision in which distant luminous forms appear like lamp-flames or star-points due to distance. The Pāṇḍavas are said to behold these radiant forms shining in their own light, consistent with the surrounding description of celestial inhabitants and exalted dwellers of higher worlds.