Shloka 72

Kubera’s Fivefold Nīti and Protection of the Pāṇḍavas (वैश्रवणोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

विमलस्फाटिकाभानि पाण्डुरच्छदनैर्दधिजै: । कलहंसैरुपेतानि सारसाभिरुतानि च,पाण्डवोंने पर्वतीय शिखरोंपर बहुत-से ऐसे सरोवर देखे, जो निर्मल स्फटिकमणिके समान सुशोभित थे। उनमें सफेद पाँखवाले पक्षी कलहंस आदि विचरते तथा सारस कलरव करते थे। कमल और उत्पल-पुष्पोंसे संयुक्त उन सरोवरोंमें सुखद एवं शीतल जल भरा था

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | vimalasphāṭikābhāni pāṇḍuracchadanair dadhijaiḥ | kalahamsair upetāni sārasābhir utāni ca ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: The Pāṇḍavas beheld many mountain-top lakes, gleaming like flawless crystal. They were frequented by white-winged birds such as the kalahamsa, and resounded with the calls of cranes (sārasa). Filled with cool, pleasant water and adorned with lotuses and blue water-lilies, these serene waters offered a moment of calm amid their arduous wandering—an image of purity and quiet restraint that mirrors the disciplined endurance of the exiled heroes.

Word by Word

• {'vaiśampāyana uvāca': 'Vaiśampāyana said', 'vimala': 'spotless, pure, clear', 'sphāṭika': 'crystal (rock-crystal)

• also crystal-like clarity', 'ābhāni/ābha': "splendour, appearance, lustre

• 'having the look of'", 'pāṇḍura': 'white, pale', 'acchadana': 'covering, plumage/feathering (contextually: white-winged/white-feathered)', 'kalahamsa': 'a kind of swan/goose

• a water-bird noted in poetry', 'upeta': 'attended by, accompanied, frequented', 'sārasa': 'crane (often the pair-bonded crane in Sanskrit literature)', 'utāni ca': 'and also (together with)', 'sarovara (implied by context)': 'lake, pond', 'parvatīya (implied by context)': 'mountainous, of the mountains', 'kamala/utpala (from the given Hindi gloss)': 'lotus / blue water-lily'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pāṇḍavas
• mountain peaks
• lakes (sarovaras)
• kalahamsa (water-birds)
• sārasa (cranes)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds śauca (purity/clarity) and inner steadiness through an image of crystal-clear mountain lakes. In the exile narrative, such serene natural scenes function as ethical counterpoints to turmoil: the disciplined traveler learns to preserve calm, restraint, and clarity even while facing hardship.

What is happening in the narrative?

As narrated by Vaiśampāyana, the Pāṇḍavas, during their forest exile, come upon many lakes on mountain heights. These waters shine like crystal and are animated by white-winged water-birds and the calls of cranes, suggesting a peaceful resting-place within their journey.