Shloka 100
Kubera’s Fivefold Nīti and Protection of the Pāṇḍavas (वैश्रवणोपदेशः)
गन्धर्वैरप्सरोभिश्व काननैश्ष मनोरमै: । व्यालैश्व विविधाकारै: शतशीर्षै: समनन्तत:ः
gandharvair apsarobhiś ca kānanaiś ca manoramaiḥ | vyālaiś ca vividhākāraiḥ śataśīrṣaiḥ samanantataḥ ||
Dijo Vaiśampāyana: «Por todas partes estaba colmado de Gandharvas y Apsarases, de deleitosos bosquecillos del bosque, y de criaturas serpentinas de muchas formas —algunas imaginadas como de cien cabezas— que lo rodeaban en derredor.»
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily evokes awe and reverence for extraordinary realms where nature and the celestial intersect; ethically, it reinforces a Mahābhārata motif that the world contains forces beyond ordinary human control, inviting humility and careful conduct when entering unknown domains.
Vaiśampāyana is describing a wondrous setting filled on all sides with celestial beings (Gandharvas and Apsarases), beautiful forest-groves, and formidable multi-formed creatures—poetically including ‘hundred-headed’ serpents—emphasizing the place’s supernatural, guarded atmosphere.