Sabha Parva Adhyaya 10 Shloka 23 - Mahabharata | English | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 23

Vaiśravaṇa-sabhā-varṇanam

Description of Kubera’s Assembly Hall

Devanagari script

वामनैर्विकटै: कुब्जै: क्षतजाक्षैर्महारवै: । मेदोमांसाशनैरुग्रैरुग्रधन्चा महाबल:

Transliteration

vāmanair vikaṭaiḥ kubjaiḥ kṣatajākṣair mahāravaiḥ | medomāṃsāśanair ugrair ugradhanvā mahābalaḥ ||

Translation

Nārada said: He was surrounded by hosts of fierce beings—dwarfish, grotesque, hunchbacked, blood-eyed, and raising a tremendous din—terrible in aspect and feeding on fat and flesh. Amid such dreadful attendants stood the mighty one, bearing a formidable bow, a figure of overwhelming power.

Word by Word

वामनैःby/with dwarfish (ones)

विकटैःby/with grotesque/terrible (ones)

कुब्जैःby/with hunchbacked (ones)

क्षतजाक्षैःwith blood-eyed (ones)

महारवैःwith great-roaring/noisy (ones)

मेदोमांसाशनैःwith fat-and-flesh-eating (ones)

उग्रैःwith fierce (ones)

उग्रधन्वाthe fierce-bowman (bearing a terrible bow)

महाबलःmighty/very strong

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

ugra-dhanvā mahābalaḥ (the mighty bow-bearing figure, contextually Śiva/Rudra in the sabhā narrative)

bhūta-gaṇa (hosts of beings: dwarfs, grotesques, hunchbacks, blood-eyed, loud-roaring attendants)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the contrast between outwardly terrifying forces and rightful authority: even when power appears dreadful through its attendants, true order in a royal assembly depends on legitimate sovereignty and disciplined control rather than mere appearance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada is describing a mighty, bow-bearing figure accompanied by frightening hosts—dwarfish, grotesque, hunchbacked, blood-eyed, loud-roaring, and flesh-eating beings—evoking the awe-inspiring entry/presence of a formidable divine power within the assembly context.