Shloka 18

Vaiśravaṇa-sabhā-varṇanam

Description of Kubera’s Assembly Hall

Devanagari script

वृक्षवास्यनिकेतश्न चीरवासाश्न॒ भारत । एते चान्ये च बहवो यक्षा: शतसहस्रश:,किन्नर तथा नर नामवाले गन्धर्व, मणिभद्र, धनद, श्वेतभद्र, गुह्मक, कशेरक, गण्डकण्डू, महाबली प्रद्योत, कुस्तुम्बुरु पिशाच, गजकर्ण, विशालक, वराहकर्ण, ताग्रोष्ठ, फलकक्ष, फलोदक, हंसचूड, शिखावर्त, हेमनेत्र, विभीषण, पुष्पानन, पिंगलक, शोणितोद, प्रवालक, वृक्षवासी, अनिकेत तथा चीरवासा, भारत! ये तथा दूसरे बहुत-से यक्ष लाखोंकी संख्यामें उपस्थित होकर उस सभामें कुबेरकी सेवा करते हैं

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | vṛkṣavāsya-aniketaś ca cīravāsāś ca bhārata | ete cānye ca bahavo yakṣāḥ śata-sahasraśaḥ kinnarās tathā narāḥ nāmavantaḥ gandharvāḥ | maṇibhadraḥ dhanadaḥ śvetabhadraḥ guhmakas kaśerakaḥ gaṇḍakaṇḍū mahābalī pradyotaḥ kustumburuḥ piśācaḥ gajakārṇaḥ viśālakaḥ varāhakārṇas tāgroṣṭhaḥ phalakakṣaḥ phalodakaḥ haṃsacūḍaḥ śikhāvartaḥ hemanetraḥ vibhīṣaṇaḥ puṣpānanaḥ piṅgalaḥ śoṇitodaḥ pravālakaḥ vṛkṣavāsī aniketas tathā cīravāsāḥ |

Translation

Nārada dijo: «¡Oh Bhārata!, el Morador de los Árboles, el Sin Hogar y el Vestido de Corteza—estos y muchos otros—son Yakṣas por cientos de miles, junto con Kinnaras y célebres Gandharvas. Maṇibhadra, Dhanada (Kubera), Śvetabhadra, Guhmaka, Kaśeraka, Gaṇḍakaṇḍū, el poderoso Pradyota, Kustumburu, Piśāca, Gajakārṇa, Viśālaka, Varāhakārṇa, Tāgroṣṭha, Phalakakṣa, Phalodaka, Haṃsacūḍa, Śikhāvarta, Hemanetra, Vibhīṣaṇa, Puṣpānana, Piṅgala, Śoṇitoda, Pravālaka, Vṛkṣavāsī, Aniketa y Cīravāsā—estos y muchos otros Yakṣas se reúnen en aquella sala para atender a Kubera.»

Word by Word

वृक्षवासीtree-dwelling

अनिकेतश्चhomeless; without a dwelling, and

चीरवासाश्चwearing bark-garments, and

भारतO Bharata

एतेthese

चand

अन्येothers

चand

बहवःmany

यक्षाःYakshas

शतसहस्रशःby hundreds of thousands; in hundreds of thousands

किन्नराःKinnaras

तथाlikewise; also

नराःmen

नामवालेnamed; having the name(s)

गन्धर्वाःGandharvas

मणिभद्रःManibhadra (name)

धनदःDhanada (Kubera)

श्वेतभद्रःShvetabhadra (name)

गुह्मकःGuhmaka (name)

कशेरकःKasheraka (name)

गण्डकण्डूःGandakandu (name)

महाबलीvery mighty

प्रद्योतःPradyota (name)

कुस्तुम्बुरुःKustumburu (name)

पिशाचःa Piśāca (ghoul)

गजकर्णःGajakarna (name)

विशालकःViśālaka (name)

वराहकर्णःVarāhakarna (name)

ताग्रोष्ठःTāgroṣṭha (name)

फलकक्षःPhalakakṣa (name)

फलोदकःPhalodaka (name)

हंसचूडःHaṃsacūḍa (name)

शिखावर्तःŚikhāvarta (name)

हेमनेत्रःHemanetra (name)

विभीषणःVibhīṣaṇa (name)

पुष्पाननःPuṣpānana (name)

पिङ्गलकःPiṅgalaka (name)

शोणितोदःŚoṇitoda (name)

प्रवालकःPravālaka (name)

वृक्षवासीVṛkṣavāsī (name)

अनिकेतःAniketa (name)

तथाand also

चीरवासाCīravāsā (name)

भारतO Bharata

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Bhārata (Yudhiṣṭhira as addressee)

Yakṣas

Kinnaras

Gandharvas

Maṇibhadra

Dhanada (Kubera)

Śvetabhadra

Guhmaka

Kaśeraka

Gaṇḍakaṇḍū

Pradyota

Kustumburu

Piśāca

Gajakārṇa

Viśālaka

Varāhakārṇa

Tāgroṣṭha

Phalakakṣa

Phalodaka

Haṃsacūḍa

Śikhāvarta

Hemanetra

Vibhīṣaṇa

Puṣpānana

Piṅgala

Śoṇitoda

Pravālaka

Vṛkṣavāsī

Aniketa

Cīravāsā

Kubera’s sabhā (assembly hall)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ordered service within a cosmic hierarchy: powerful beings—Yakṣas, Kinnaras, and Gandharvas—assemble in vast numbers to attend upon Kubera. The ethical undertone is that authority and prosperity (Kubera’s domain) are sustained by disciplined roles, duty, and respectful attendance rather than mere power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Narada is describing the splendor and population of Kubera’s assembly hall, listing many named attendants—primarily Yakṣas—who gather there in immense numbers to serve Kubera (Dhanada). The catalog of names functions to convey the scale, diversity, and majesty of Kubera’s court.