Shloka 13

अर्हणनिर्णयः

Decision on the Highest Honor at the Assembly

Devanagari script

अथ चिन्तां समापेदे स मुनिर्मनुजाधिप । नारदस्तु तदा पश्यन्‌ सर्वक्षत्रसमागमम्‌,देवानां संगमं तं तु विज्ञाय कुरुनन्दन । नारद: पुण्डरीकाक्षं सस्मार मनसा हरिम्‌ कुरुनन्दन! नारदजीने यह जानकर कि राजाओंके इस समुदायके रूपमें वास्तवमें देवताओंका ही समागम हुआ है, मन-ही-मन कमलनयन भगवान्‌ श्रीहरिका चिन्तन किया

Transliteration

atha cintāṃ samāpede sa munir manujādhipa | nāradas tu tadā paśyan sarva-kṣatra-samāgamam, devānāṃ saṅgamaṃ taṃ tu vijñāya kuru-nandana | nāradaḥ puṇḍarīkākṣaṃ sasmāra manasā harim ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Then that sage fell into deep reflection, O lord of men. Nārada, seeing at that time the great assembly of all the kṣatriyas, understood it to be, in truth, a gathering of the gods, O joy of the Kurus. Knowing this, Nārada inwardly remembered Hari—the lotus-eyed Lord—turning his mind toward the divine presence behind the worldly spectacle.

Word by Word

• {'atha': 'then

• now (narrative transition)', 'cintām samāpede': 'entered into thought

• became absorbed in concern/reflection', 'muniḥ': 'sage

• seer', 'manujādhipa': 'lord of men

• king (vocative)', 'nāradaḥ': 'Nārada (divine sage, celestial messenger)', 'tadā': 'at that time', 'paśyan': 'seeing

• observing', 'sarva-kṣatra-samāgama': 'assembly of all kṣatriyas

• gathering of royal warriors', 'devānām saṅgamaḥ': 'concourse/meeting of the gods', 'vijñāya': 'having understood

• recognizing', 'kuru-nandana': 'delight of the Kurus (address to Janamejaya)', 'puṇḍarīkākṣa': 'lotus-eyed (epithet of Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)', 'sasmāra': 'remembered

• called to mind', 'manasā': 'with the mind

• mentally', 'harim': 'Hari (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa), the remover (of sin/sorrow)'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Nārada
• Hari (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)
• Kuru-nandana (Janamejaya, implied addressee)
• kṣatriyas (royal warriors)
• devas (gods)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Worldly power and political spectacle can conceal a deeper divine order; the wise recognize the sacred dimension behind events and respond with inward remembrance (smaraṇa) of the Supreme rather than mere fascination or fear.

What is happening in the narrative?

As the great gathering of kings is observed, Nārada discerns that this is not merely a human congregation but resembles a convocation of the gods; realizing the extraordinary nature of the moment, he mentally invokes and remembers Hari, the lotus-eyed Lord.