Shloka 41

यमसभावर्णनम् (Yamasabhā-varṇanam) — Nārada’s Description of Dharmarāja’s Assembly

Devanagari script

ईदृशी सा सभा राजन पित्राज्ञों महात्मन: । वरुणस्यापि वक्ष्यामि सभां पुष्करमालिनीम्‌,राजन! पितृराज महात्मा यमकी सभा ऐसी ही है। अब मैं वरुणकी मूर्तिमान्‌ पुष्कर आदि तीर्थमालाओंसे सुशोभित सभाका भी वर्णन करूँगा

Transliteration

īdṛśī sā sabhā rājan pitṛrājño mahātmanaḥ | varuṇasyāpi vakṣyāmi sabhāṃ puṣkaramālinīm ||

Translation

Nārada said: “O King, such indeed is the assembly hall of the great-souled Lord of the Pitṛs (Yama). Now I shall also describe to you Varuṇa’s assembly hall, adorned with garlands of sacred tīrthas such as Puṣkara.”

Word by Word

ईदृशीsuch, of this kind

साthat (she/it)

सभाassembly hall

राजन्O king

पितृराज्ञःof the king of the Pitṛs (Yama)

महात्मनःof the great-souled one

वरुणस्यof Varuṇa

अपिalso, even

वक्ष्यामिI shall describe/say

सभाम्assembly hall (object)

पुष्करमालिनीम्garlanded/adorned with lotuses (or lotus-garlands)

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Yama (Pitṛrāja)

Varuṇa

Puṣkara

Sabhā (divine assembly hall)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

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 highlights the ideal of ordered sovereignty: divine courts embody disciplined governance aligned with cosmic order, and sacred places (tīrthas) symbolize purity and legitimacy that should ornament rulership.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada, addressing the king, concludes his description of Yama’s (Pitṛrāja’s) assembly hall and transitions to describing Varuṇa’s assembly hall, noted for being adorned with a ‘garland’ of tīrthas such as Puṣkara.