Shloka 18

गदायुद्ध-समारम्भः

Commencement of the Mace-Duel Proceedings

Devanagari script

जटामण्डलसंवीत: स्वर्णचीरो महातपा:,राजन्‌! महातपस्वी नारद जटामण्डलसे मण्डित हो सुनहरा चीर धारण किये हुए थे। उन्होंने कमण्डलु, सोनेका दण्ड तथा सुखदायक शब्द करनेवाली कच्छपी नामक मनोरम वीणा भी ले रखी थी

Transliteration

jaṭāmaṇḍalasaṃvītaḥ svarṇacīro mahātapā | rājan mahātapassvī nāradaḥ jaṭāmaṇḍalena maṇḍito hiraṇmayaṃ cīraṃ dhārayām āsa | sa kamaṇḍaluṃ suvarṇadaṇḍaṃ ca sukhadaśabdaṃ karoti yā kaccchapī nāma manoramāṃ vīṇām api gṛhītvā ājagāma ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Ô roi, le grand ascète Nārada apparut, paré d’un cercle de mèches emmêlées et revêtu d’un vêtement d’or éclatant. Il portait son kamaṇḍalu (vase à eau) et un bâton d’or, et tenait aussi la vīṇā charmante nommée Kacchapī, dont les sons apaisaient — signes d’un sage dont la présence apporte conseil, maîtrise de soi et direction de bon augure au cœur du tumulte guerrier.

Word by Word

जटा-मण्डल-संवीतःcovered/encircled with a circle of matted locks

स्वर्ण-चीरोwearing a golden garment

महातपाःa great ascetic (of great austerity)

राजन्O king

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Nārada

King (Janamejaya, implied by 'rājan')

jaṭāmaṇḍala (matted-locks circle)

golden garment (svarṇacīra)

kamaṇḍalu

golden staff (suvarṇadaṇḍa)

vīṇā Kacchapī

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 moral authority of tapas (austerity) and disciplined living: Nārada’s ascetic marks (jaṭā, kamaṇḍalu, daṇḍa) and his soothing vīṇā symbolize guidance that steadies minds and recalls dharma, especially when society is shaken by conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes Nārada’s arrival and appearance—his ascetic adornment, golden attire, and the objects he carries (water-pot, golden staff, and the Kacchapī vīṇā)—preparing the listener for the sage’s role as a messenger/counselor within the events of the Shalya Parva.