Shloka 5

Arjuna meets the Lokapālas, is tested by Indra, and is led to Amarāvatī for astra-śikṣā

Indraloka-gamana

Devanagari script

इन्द्रवैश्रवणावेतां दिशं पाण्डव रक्षत: | पर्वतैश्न वनान्तैश्न काननैश्वैव शोभिताम्‌

Transliteration

indravaiśravaṇāvetāṃ diśaṃ pāṇḍava rakṣataḥ | parvataiś ca vanāntaiś ca kānanaiś caiva śobhitām |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana dit : Le Pāṇḍava montait la garde sur le quartier présidé par Indra et Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera), une direction embellie par des montagnes, des lisières de forêt et de profondes futaies.

Word by Word

• इन्द्रवैश्रवणौ: Indra and Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera)
• इन्द्रवैश्रवणौ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: इन्द्र-वैश्रवण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Dual

• एताम्: this
• एताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• दिशम्: direction/quarter
• दिशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• पाण्डव: O Pāṇḍava
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डव
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• रक्षतः: you two protect/guard
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष्
• Form: Present, Second, Dual, Parasmaipada, Imperative

• पर्वतैः: with mountains
• पर्वतैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पर्वत
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

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

• वनान्तैः: with forest-regions/forest-ends
• वनान्तैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनान्त
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

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

• काननैः: with groves/woods
• काननैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कानन
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

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

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• शोभिताम्: adorned/beautified
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शोभित
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Pāṇḍava
• Indra
• Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera)
• diś (a quarter/direction)
• parvata (mountains)
• vanānta (forest margins)
• kānana (groves/woods)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma as vigilant stewardship: guarding one’s assigned domain is portrayed as a principled duty harmonized with cosmic order (the quarters presided over by deities), not merely a practical necessity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a Pāṇḍava standing guard over a particular quarter associated with Indra and Vaiśravaṇa (Kubera), while also painting the setting as a beautiful landscape of mountains, forest edges, and groves.