Shloka 1

Devanagari script

ऑपन--माज छा अं ऋाज शततमो< ध्याय: हिरण्यपुरका दिग्दर्शन और वर्णन नारद उवाच हिरण्यपुरमित्येतत्‌ ख्यातं पुरवरं महत्‌ | दैत्यानां दानवानां च मायाशतविचारिणाम्‌,नारदजी कहते हैं--मातले! यह हिरण्यपुर नामक श्रेष्ठ एवं विशाल नगर है जहाँ सैकड़ों मायाओंके साथ विचरनेवाले दैत्यों और दानवोंका निवासस्थान है

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | hiraṇyapuram ity etat khyātaṃ puravaraṃ mahat | daityānāṃ dānavānāṃ ca māyāśatavihāriṇām ||

Translation

Narada said: “O Mātali, this is the famed city called Hiraṇyapura—a great and excellent metropolis. It is the dwelling-place of Daityas and Dānavas, who roam about employing hundreds of magical illusions.”

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'hiraṇyapuram', 'definition': 'Hiraṇyapura

• ‘Golden City’, a renowned city of the Asuras'}, {'term': 'iti etat', 'definition': 'thus

• this (is called/known as)'}, {'term': 'khyātam', 'definition': 'famed, well-known'}, {'term': 'puravaram', 'definition': 'best of cities, excellent city'}, {'term': 'mahat', 'definition': 'great, vast'}, {'term': 'daityānām', 'definition': 'of the Daityas (a class of Asuras, descendants of Diti)'}, {'term': 'dānavānām', 'definition': 'of the Dānavas (a class of Asuras, descendants of Danu)'}, {'term': 'ca', 'definition': 'and'}, {'term': 'māyā', 'definition': 'illusion, magical power, deceptive artifice'}, {'term': 'śata', 'definition': 'hundred

• by extension, very many'}, {'term': 'vihāriṇām', 'definition': 'of those who move about/roam

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Mātali
• Hiraṇyapura
• Daityas
• Dānavas
• Māyā (illusion/magic)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the theme of māyā—powerful illusion and deceptive capability—as a defining trait of certain adversarial beings. Ethically, it cautions that grandeur and fame (a ‘great city’) can coexist with deception, and discernment is needed when encountering impressive but potentially misleading power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada identifies and describes a notable city named Hiraṇyapura to Mātali, stating that it is a vast, eminent metropolis inhabited by Daityas and Dānavas who operate with numerous magical illusions.