Shloka 30

Devanagari script

तस्यां सभायां नलिनीं चकाराप्रतिमां मय: । वैदूर्यपत्रविततां मणिनालमयाम्बुजाम्‌,मयासुरने उस सभाभवनके भीतर एक बड़ी सुन्दर पुष्करिणी बना रखी थी, जिसकी कहीं तुलना नहीं थी। उसमें इन्द्रनीलमणिमय कमलके पत्ते फैले हुए थे। उन कमलोंके मृणाल मणियोंके बने थे

Transliteration

tasyāṁ sabhāyāṁ nalinīṁ cakārāpratimāṁ mayaḥ | vaiḍūryapatravitatāṁ maṇinālamayāmbujām ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana dit : Dans cette salle d’assemblée, Maya fit aménager un bassin de lotus sans pareil. Les feuilles de lotus s’y déployaient telles des gemmes de vaidūrya, et les lotus avaient des tiges façonnées de joyaux.

Word by Word

तस्याम्in that

सभायाम्assembly-hall

नलिनीम्a lotus-pond

चकारmade

अप्रतिमाम्incomparable

मयःMaya (the Asura architect)

वैदूर्यपत्रवितताम्spread with vaidūrya (cat's-eye gem) leaves

मणिनालमयाम्having stalks made of gems

अम्बुजाम्a lotus (i.e., lotus(-pond) / lotus(-bearing))

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Maya (Asura)

sabhā (assembly-hall)

nalinī (lotus-pond)

vaidūrya (cat’s-eye gem)

maṇi (jewels)

ambuja (lotus)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the power of crafted beauty and artifice (māyā): dazzling constructions can enchant the mind and make appearances seem real, a motif that later contributes to misunderstanding and pride within the court.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana describes a marvel inside the newly built assembly-hall: Maya creates an incomparable lotus-pond whose leaves and stalks are made of precious gems, emphasizing the extraordinary, almost deceptive luxury of the hall.