Shloka 1.40.19

सगरपुत्राणां रसातलगमनम् — The Descent of Sagara’s Sons and the Wrath of Kapila

Devanagari script

पश्चिमायामपि दिशि महान्तमचलोपमम्।।।।दिशागजं सौमनसं ददृशुस्ते महाबला:।

Transliteration

paścimāyām api diśi mahāntam acalopamam |

diśāgajaṃ saumanasaṃ dadṛśus te mahābalāḥ ||

Translation

And in the western quarter as well, those mighty ones beheld the directional elephant Saumanasa—vast, like a mountain.

Context

Possessed of great strength, they beheld also in the western quarter a great elephant of the quarter named Saumanasa resembling a mountain.

Characters & Entities

• Saumanasa (diśāgaja)
• western quarter (paścimā diś)
• sixty thousand sons of Sagara (implied as 'te mahābalāḥ')

FAQs

What is the core ethical principle (Dharma) in this verse?

The verse reinforces dharma as ordered guardianship: each quarter has its protector, suggesting that stability arises when each being fulfills its appointed role.

What is the narrative situation?

While digging through the western direction, Sagara’s sons encounter the western directional elephant named Saumanasa.

Which character virtue is emphasized?

Awe and recognition: encountering cosmic guardians cultivates humility before a larger moral and cosmic structure.