Shloka 39

Kṛṣṇasya Dvārakā-praveśaḥ — Krishna’s Return to Dvārakā and the Raivataka Festival

Devanagari script

वापी: स्फटिकसोपाना नदीक्ष विमलोदका: । ददर्श वक्षांश्व बहून्‌ नानाद्धिजगणायुतान्‌

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | vāpīḥ sphaṭika-sopānā nadīś ca vimalodakāḥ | dadarśa vṛkṣāṃś ca bahūn nānā-dvija-gaṇāyutān |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Il vit de nombreux puits à degrés ornés d’escaliers de cristal, et bien des rivières aux eaux limpides et pures. Il aperçut aussi quantité d’arbres charmants, parés de volées d’oiseaux de toutes sortes.

Word by Word

• वापीः: wells/stepwells
• वापीः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वापी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• स्फटिकसोपानाः: having crystal steps
• स्फटिकसोपानाः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्फटिकसोपान
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• नदीः: rivers
• नदीः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• विमलोदकाः: with clear/pure water
• विमलोदकाः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमलोदक
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Plural

• ददर्श: saw
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वृक्षान्: trees
• वृक्षान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• बहून्: many
• बहून्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• नानाद्विजगणायुतान्: accompanied by multitudes of various birds
• नानाद्विजगणायुतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नानाद्विजगणायुत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• vāpī (stepwells)
• sphaṭika-sopāna (crystal stairways)
• nadī (rivers)
• vṛkṣa (trees)
• dvija-gaṇa (flocks of birds)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights signs of well-being—clean waters, well-made public works like stepwells, and thriving nature—implying that dharmic governance and social order manifest as prosperity and harmony in the environment.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vaiśampāyana’s narration, the observer (contextually, the traveling party) surveys a beautiful region: crystal-stepped wells, clear rivers, and many trees filled with birds, indicating an auspicious and flourishing setting within the Ashvamedhika Parva.