Shloka 35

Devanagari script

तेजसाभ्यधिकौ सूर्यात्‌ सर्वलोकविरोचनात्‌ । श्रीवत्सलक्षणौ पूज्यौ जटामण्डलधारिणौ

Transliteration

tejasābhyadhikau sūryāt sarvalokavirocanāt | śrīvatsalakṣaṇau pūjyau jaṭāmaṇḍaladhāriṇau ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “They were possessed of a radiance surpassing the sun, illuminating all the worlds. Marked with the auspicious Śrīvatsa sign, venerable and worthy of worship, they bore a circular mass of matted locks.”

Word by Word

तेजसाby/with splendor

अभ्यधिकौsuperior, exceeding

सूर्यात्than the sun

सर्वलोकविरोचनात्than (that which is) the illuminator of all worlds

श्रीवत्सलक्षणौbearing the Śrīvatsa mark

पूज्यौworthy of worship

जटामण्डलधारिणौwearing a circle/mass of matted hair

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Sūrya (the Sun)

Śrīvatsa (sacred mark/emblem)

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 how true venerability is signaled not by power alone but by auspicious qualities—spiritual radiance, sacred marks, and ascetic bearing—implying that dharmic authority is recognized through inner splendor and sanctity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes two revered figures whose appearance is extraordinary: they outshine the sun, illuminate all worlds, bear the Śrīvatsa emblem, and wear matted locks arranged like a circular halo—an epiphanic portrayal meant to evoke awe and reverence.