Shloka 78

कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः

Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma

Devanagari script

विद्युन्मालापिनद्धाड: समुत्तिष्ठन्ति वै घना: । घोररूपा महाराज घोरस्वननिनादिता: । ततो जलधरा: सर्वे व्याप्रुवन्ति नभस्तलम्‌,वे सभी बादल विद्युन्मालाओंसे अलंकृत होकर घिर आते हैं। महाराज! भयंकर गर्जना करनेके कारण उनका स्वरूप बड़ा भयानक जान पढ़ता है। धीरे-धीरे वे सभी जलधर समूचे आकाशमण्डलको ढक लेते हैं

Transliteration

vidyunmālāpinaddhāḥ samuttiṣṭhanti vai ghanāḥ | ghorarūpā mahārāja ghorasvananināditāḥ | tato jaladharāḥ sarve vyāpruvanti nabhastalam ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana dit : «Ô grand roi, les nuages s’élèvent, ceints de guirlandes d’éclairs. Leur apparence est terrible, rendue plus effrayante encore par le fracas du tonnerre. Puis tous ces nuages porteurs de pluie s’étendent et couvrent toute l’étendue du ciel.»

Word by Word

• {'vidyunmālā': 'a garland/chain of lightning', 'pinaddhāḥ': 'bound, fastened, adorned (with)', 'ghanāḥ': 'clouds

• dense masses (here: clouds)', 'samuttiṣṭhanti': 'rise up, surge forth', 'mahārāja': 'O great king (address to the listener, typically Janamejaya)', 'ghorarūpāḥ': 'of fearful form, terrifying in appearance', 'ghorasvana': 'terrible sound

• thunderous roar', 'nināditāḥ': 'resounding, roaring', 'tataḥ': 'then, thereafter', 'jaladharāḥ': 'water-bearers

• rain-clouds', 'sarve': 'all', 'vyāpruvanti': 'spread over, pervade, cover', 'nabhastalam': 'the surface/expanse of the sky'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Mahārāja (the king addressed, i.e., Janamejaya)
• clouds (ghanāḥ/jaladharāḥ)
• lightning (vidyut)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse primarily heightens the narrative mood: nature’s overwhelming power—lightning-adorned, thunder-roaring clouds covering the sky—signals a shift toward gravity and foreboding, reminding listeners of human smallness before larger forces that often accompany decisive events.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a storm-like scene: clouds rise, decorated with lightning, roaring with thunder, and gradually spread to blanket the entire sky, creating a fearful atmosphere.