Shloka 21

उच्चैःश्रवसः वर्णविपणः तथा नागशापः

Uccaiḥśravas Color-Wager and the Nāga Curse

Devanagari script

वारुणानि च भूतानि विविधानि महीधर: । पातालतलवासीनि विलयं समुपानयत्‌,मन्दराचलने वरुणालय (समुद्र) तथा पातालतलमें निवास करनेवाले नाना प्रकारके प्राणियोंका संहार कर डाला

Transliteration

śaunaka uvāca |

vāruṇāni ca bhūtāni vividhāni mahīdharaḥ |

pātālatala-vāsīni vilayaṃ samupānayat |

Translation

Dijo Śaunaka: El portador de la montaña trajo destrucción a los muchos seres pertenecientes a Varuṇa, y a los que habitaban en las regiones subterráneas de Pātāla. En el curso del batido con Mandara, incluso las criaturas del reino oceánico y del inframundo fueron arrastradas a la ruina—un episodio que subraya cómo las empresas cósmicas, aunque busquen un bien superior, pueden entrañar sufrimiento colateral para los seres menores.

Word by Word

• वारुणानि: Varuṇa-related, aquatic
• वारुणानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• भूतानि: beings, creatures
• भूतानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• विविधानि: various, diverse
• विविधानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विविध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• महीधरः: the mountain (Mandara)
• महीधरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महीधर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पातालतलवासीनि: dwelling on the netherworld levels
• पातालतलवासीनि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पातालतल-वासिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• विलयम्: destruction, dissolution
• विलयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विलय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• समुपानयत्: brought (to), caused to reach
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्+उप+नी (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

शौनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śaunaka
• Varuṇa
• Pātāla
• Mandara (implied by context: Mandarācala-manthana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that even grand, world-shaping undertakings can produce unintended harm to vulnerable beings; ethical reflection includes noticing such collateral suffering within larger cosmic narratives.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śaunaka describes how, during the upheaval associated with the Mandara churning, creatures of Varuṇa’s oceanic domain and residents of Pātāla were driven to destruction by the violent disturbance.