Shloka 12

Adhyaya 21 — Kuvalayashva’s Descent to Patala and the Rescue of Madalasa

Sanskrit

ततोऽपश्यत स सौवर्ण-प्रासादशतसङ्कुलम् ।

पुरन्दरपुरप्रख्यं पुरं प्राकारशोभितम् ॥

Transliteration

tato 'paśyat sa sauvarṇa-prāsādaśatasaṃkulam / purandarapuraprakhyaṃ puraṃ prākāraśobhitam

Translation

Luego vio una ciudad colmada de cientos de palacios de oro—como la ciudad de Purandara (Indra)—adornada con baluartes y murallas.

Word by Word

• tataḥ: then
• tataḥ: Adhikaraṇa (अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: tatas (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Avyaya, adverb (क्रियाविशेषण)

• apaśyat: saw
• apaśyat: Kriyā (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: dṛś (धातु)
• Form: Verb; लङ्, 3rd person, Singular; Parasmaipada from √dṛś with prefix apa-

• saḥ: he
• saḥ: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: tad (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Pronoun; Masculine, Nominative Singular

• sauvarṇa-prāsāda-śata-saṃkulam: filled with hundreds of golden palaces
• sauvarṇa-prāsāda-śata-saṃkulam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: sauvarṇa + prāsāda + śata + saṃkula (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Multi-member Tatpuruṣa (तत्पुरुष) describing 'pura'; Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular; sauvarṇa (golden) + prāsāda (palace) + śata (hundred) + saṃkula (crowded/filled)

• purandara-pura-prakhyam: resembling Indra's city
• purandara-pura-prakhyam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: purandara + pura + prakhya (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa; Neuter, Accusative Singular; 'like the city of Purandara (Indra)'

• puram: city
• puram: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: pura (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative (द्वितीया) Singular

• prākāra-śobhitam: adorned with ramparts
• prākāra-śobhitam: Viśeṣaṇa (विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: prākāra + śobhita (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Tatpuruṣa; Past passive participle (क्त, -ta) from √śubh/√śobh (शुभ्/शोभ्) 'to shine/adorn'; Neuter, Accusative Singular; 'adorned with ramparts/walls'

Speakers

• Narratorial (frame-speaker not identifiable from input alone)

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shringara", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Primary Deities

• Indra (Purandara) (as comparison)

Key Themes

• Marvelous city
• Underworld splendor
• Cosmographic imagination

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Splendor is not proof of safety or truth. Purāṇas often present dazzling realms to test discernment (viveka): what appears ‘Indra-like’ may still be deceptive or morally ambiguous.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Adjacent to Purāṇic cosmography (descriptions of realms), but not a direct pañcalakṣaṇa enumeration; it serves narrative movement and wonder (adbhuta-rasa).

What is the esoteric significance?

A golden, Indra-like city in the underworld can symbolize the mind’s capacity to project ‘heaven’ even in descent—illusory grandeur that can distract from the real purpose of the journey.