Shloka 29

प्रभासे कृष्णार्जुनसमागमः तथा द्वारकाप्रवेशः | Kṛṣṇa–Arjuna Meeting at Prabhāsa and Entry into Dvārakā

Devanagari script

तथा देवनिकायानां महर्षीणां च सर्वश: । मुखानि चाभ्यवर्तन्त येन याति तिलोत्तमा,दूसरे-दूसरे देवताओं और महर्षियोंके मुख भी जिस ओर तिलोत्तमा जाती थी, उसी ओर घूम जाते थे

Transliteration

tathā devanikāyānāṃ maharṣīṇāṃ ca sarvaśaḥ | mukhāni cābhyavartanta yena yāti tilottamā ||

Translation

Nārada dit : De même, les visages des cohortes de dieux et des grands rishis, sans aucune exception, se tournaient vers la direction où se mouvait Tilottamā ; tant sa beauté était irrésistible que même les êtres maîtres d’eux-mêmes sentaient leur attention entraînée à sa suite.

Word by Word

तथाthus, in that manner

देव-निकायानाम्of the groups of gods

महर्षीणाम्of the great sages

चand

सर्वशःentirely, in every way

मुखानिfaces

चalso/and

अभ्यवर्तन्तturned (towards), revolved

येनin which direction/whereby

यातिgoes

तिलोत्तमाTilottamā (the apsaras)

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Tilottamā

Devas (hosts of gods)

Maharṣis (great seers)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how powerful sensory attraction can be: even exalted beings like gods and great seers are depicted as involuntarily turning toward Tilottamā. Implicitly, it underscores the ethical value of vigilance and self-mastery in the face of temptation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada describes Tilottamā’s extraordinary allure: as she walks, the assembled gods and maharṣis turn their faces in the very direction she goes, indicating that everyone’s attention follows her movement.