Shloka 24

Adhyāya 8: Saṃprahāra-varṇana and Bhīma–Kṣemadhūrti Dvipa-Yuddha

Combat Description and Elephant Duel

Devanagari script

उच्चै:श्रवा वरो<श्चानां राज्ञां वैश्रवणो वर:

Transliteration

uccaiḥśravā varo 'śvānāṁ rājñāṁ vaiśravaṇo varaḥ

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “Among horses, Uccaiḥśravā is the foremost; among kings, Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera) is the foremost.”

Word by Word

• उच्चैःश्रवाः: Ucchaiḥśravas (the divine horse)
• उच्चैःश्रवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उच्चैःश्रवस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वरः: best, excellent
• वरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अश्वानाम्: of horses
• अश्वानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• राज्ञाम्: of kings
• राज्ञाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• वैश्रवणः: Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera)
• वैश्रवणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्रवण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वरः: best, excellent
• वरः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Uccaiḥśravā
• Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse uses well-known exemplars to express recognized supremacy: just as Uccaiḥśravā is paradigmatically the finest horse, Vaiśravaṇa is paradigmatically foremost among kings. It reinforces the idea that excellence is established by rightful qualities and acknowledged standards, not by mere assertion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana delivers a proverbial-style comparison listing the foremost in a category (horses, kings). Such lines commonly appear in descriptive or laudatory contexts to frame greatness by referencing culturally authoritative exemplars.