Shloka 36

मयेन सभानिर्माणम्

Maya’s Construction of the Assembly Hall

Devanagari script

जलजानां च पद्मानां स्थलजानां च सर्वश: । मारुतो गन्धमादाय पाण्डवान्‌ सम निषेवते,वहाँ जल और स्थलमें होनेवाले कमलोंकी सुगन्ध लेकर वायु सदा पाण्डवोंकी सेवा किया करती थी

Transliteration

jalajānāṃ ca padmānāṃ sthalajānāṃ ca sarvaśaḥ | māruto gandham ādāya pāṇḍavān sama niṣevate ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Le vent, recueillant le parfum des lotus qui croissent dans l’eau et de ceux qui croissent sur la terre, semblait sans cesse servir les Pāṇḍava—suggérant que la nature elle-même paraissait les honorer et les assister dans leur prospérité légitime.

Word by Word

जलजानाम्of water-born (lotuses)

चand

पद्मानाम्of lotuses

स्थलजानाम्of land-born (lotuses)

चand

सर्वशःaltogether; in every way

मारुतःthe wind

गन्धम्fragrance

आदायhaving taken

पाण्डवान्the Pāṇḍavas

समम्equally; constantly (as an adverb here)

निषेवतेserves; attends upon

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Māruta (the Wind)

Padma (lotus)

Pāṇḍavas

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 conveys auspicious harmony: when righteous order and well-being prevail, even the natural world appears supportive. The wind bearing lotus-fragrance symbolizes purity, prosperity, and a kind of effortless service that accompanies dharmic flourishing.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the Pāṇḍavas’ environment as exceptionally благоприятный: the wind continually brings the scent of lotuses—both aquatic and terrestrial—creating an atmosphere of beauty and honor, as though nature itself attends upon them.