Shloka 16
वारुणी सभा — Varuṇa’s Divine Assembly
Nārada’s Description
स्रग्विणो मौलिनश्वैव तथा दिव्यपरिच्छदा: । सर्वे लब्धवरा: शूरा: सर्वे विगतमृत्यव:
sragviṇo maulinaś caiva tathā divya-paricchadāḥ | sarve labdha-varāḥ śūrāḥ sarve vigata-mṛtyavaḥ | virocanaputro rājā baliḥ pṛthivī-vijayī narakāsuraḥ prahrādaḥ vipracittiḥ kālakhañja-dānavaḥ suhanur durmukhaḥ śaṅkhaḥ sumanāḥ sumatiḥ ghaṭodaraḥ mahāpārśvaḥ krathanaḥ piṭharaḥ viśvarūpaḥ svarūpaḥ virūpaḥ mahāśirāḥ daśamukhaḥ rāvaṇaḥ vālī meghavāsā daśāvaraḥ ṭiṭṭibhaḥ viṭabhūtaḥ saṃhādaś cendra-tāpana-ādayaḥ | ete sarve daitya-dānava-saṃghā manohara-kuṇḍala-sundara-hāra-kirīṭa-divya-vastrābharaṇa-dhāriṇaḥ tasmin sabhāyāṃ dharma-pāśa-dhāriṇaṃ mahātmānaṃ varuṇaṃ sadopāsate |
Nārada dijo: “Con guirnaldas y diademas, vestidos con atuendo divino, todos ellos heroicos y todos hechos inmortales por dones—el rey Bali, hijo de Virocana; Narakāsura, conquistador de la tierra; Prahlāda; Vipracitti; el Dānava Kālakhañja; Suhanu, Durmukha, Śaṅkha, Sumanas, Sumati, Ghaṭodara, Mahāpārśva, Krathana, Piṭhara, Viśvarūpa, Svarūpa, Virūpa, Mahāśiras; el Rāvaṇa de diez rostros; Vālī; Meghavāsa; Daśāvara; Ṭiṭṭibha; Viṭabhūta; Saṃhāda; Indratāpana y otros—estas huestes de Daityas y Dānavas, adornadas con encantadores pendientes, hermosos collares, coronas y vestiduras y ornamentos celestiales, rinden culto sin cesar en aquella asamblea a Varuṇa, el magnánimo portador del lazo del dharma. Habiendo obtenido dones, se han vuelto valerosos y libres de la muerte; su conducta y sus votos se describen como excelentes.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even those famed as Daityas and Dānavas are portrayed as capable of disciplined vows and reverent worship. The verse links power (boons, valor, even ‘deathlessness’) with accountability to cosmic order, symbolized by Varuṇa and his dharma-noose—suggesting that might is meant to be held within the bounds of dharma.
Nārada is describing the splendor and occupants of the extraordinary assembly hall: a long roster of powerful Daityas and Dānavas, richly adorned and made formidable by boons, are shown continually worshipping Varuṇa, who bears the noose associated with moral and cosmic restraint.