Shloka 34

Vaiśravaṇa-sabhā-varṇanam

Description of Kubera’s Assembly Hall

Devanagari script

नन्दीश्वरश्न भगवान्‌ महाकालस्तथैव च । शड्कुकर्णमुखा: सर्वे दिव्या: पारिषदास्तथा

Transliteration

nandīśvaraś ca bhagavān mahākālas tathaiva ca | śaṅkukarṇamukhāḥ sarve divyāḥ pāriṣadās tathā ||

Translation

Nārada said: “There too are present the divine attendants of Lord Śiva—Nandīśvara, Mahākāla, and all the others beginning with Śaṅkukarṇa.”

Word by Word

• नन्दीश्वरः: Nandīśvara
• नन्दीश्वरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नन्दीश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• भगवान्: the venerable/lordly one
• भगवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भगवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महाकालः: Mahākāla
• महाकालः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाकाल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: likewise/so also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• शङ्कुकर्णमुखाः: those headed by Śaṅkukarna
• शङ्कुकर्णमुखाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शङ्कुकर्णमुख
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• दिव्याः: divine
• दिव्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पारिषदाः: attendants/courtiers (retinue)
• पारिषदाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पारिषद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तथा: also/likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Nandīśvara (Nandin)
• Mahākāla
• Śaṅkukarṇa
• Śiva (implied by pāriṣadāḥ/attendants)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes reverence for the divine order: Śiva is surrounded by a structured retinue of exalted attendants, suggesting that proximity to the divine is marked by service, discipline, and recognized hierarchy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada is describing a sacred scene/assembly by naming prominent members of Śiva’s divine entourage—Nandīśvara, Mahākāla, and others led by Śaṅkukarṇa—indicating their presence and status as celestial attendants.