Shloka 4

रसातल-वर्णनम्

Rasātala Description: Surabhi, Phenapāḥ, and the Directional Cows

Devanagari script

पक्षिराजाभिजात्यानां सहस्राणि शतानि च | कश्यपस्य ततो वंशे जातैर्भूतिविवर्धनै:,देवसारथि मातले! यहाँ विनतानन्दन गरुड़के छ: पुत्रोंने अपनी वंशपरम्पराका विस्तार किया है, जिनके नाम इस प्रकार हैं--सुमुख, सुनामा, सुनेत्र, सुवर्चा, सुरुच तथा पक्षिराज सुबल। विनताके वंशकी वृद्धि करनेवाले, कश्यपकुलमें उत्पन्न हुए तथा ऐश्वर्यका विस्तार करनेवाले इन छहों पश्षियोंने गरुड़-जातिकी सैकड़ों और सहस्रों शाखाओंका विस्तार किया है

Transliteration

pakṣirājābhijātyānāṁ sahasrāṇi śatāni ca | kaśyapasya tato vaṁśe jātair bhūtivivardhanaiḥ, devasārathi mātale |

Translation

Nārada dit : «Ô Mātali, cocher des dieux ! Dans la lignée de Kaśyapa naquirent des descendants qui accroissent la prospérité, et ils étendirent la race du roi des oiseaux en des centaines et des milliers de branches.»

Word by Word

पक्षिराजof the king of birds (Garuda)

अभिजात्यानाम्of the noble lineages/descents

सहस्राणिthousands

शतानिhundreds

चand

कश्यपस्यof Kashyapa

ततःthen/thereafter; from that

वंशेin the lineage

जातैःby/with those born (ones)

भूतिविवर्धनैःby those who increase prosperity

देवसारथिO charioteer of the gods

मातलेO Matali

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Mātali

Kaśyapa

Pakṣirāja (Garuḍa implied)

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 underscores the Mahābhārata’s view that cosmic order is sustained through well-defined lineages and their responsible flourishing—prosperity (bhūti) is portrayed as an outcome of orderly propagation within dharmic creation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada addresses Mātali and begins describing how, within Kaśyapa’s lineage, the bird-king’s race proliferated into innumerable branches—setting up a genealogical account of Garuḍa’s line.