Shloka 21

Śiśupāla’s Protest Against the Arghya to Kṛṣṇa (शिशुपाल-आक्षेपः)

Devanagari script

सर्वतः संवृतानुच्चै: प्राकारैः सुकृतैः सितै: । सुवर्णजालसंवीतान्‌ मणिकुट्टिम भूषितान्‌

Transliteration

sarvataḥ saṃvṛtān uccaiḥ prākāraiḥ sukṛtaiḥ sitaiḥ | suvarṇajālasaṃvītān maṇikuṭṭima-bhūṣitān ||

Translation

વૈશમ્પાયન બોલ્યા—તે ભવનો સર્વ તરફથી ઊંચા, સુદૃઢ અને શ્વેત પ્રાકારો વડે ઘેરાયેલા હતા. સુવર્ણ જાળી-કાર્યથી શોભિત અને તેમના આંગણાંના તળિયા મણિ-રત્ન જડિત કૂટ્ટિમથી વિભૂષિત હતા—રાજસમૃદ્ધિનું સુવ્યવસ્થિત વૈભવ જાણે.

Word by Word

• सर्वतः: on all sides, everywhere
• सर्वतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः

• संवृतान्: enclosed, surrounded
• संवृतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संवृत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• उच्चैः: high, loftily
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उच्चैः

• प्राकारैः: by ramparts/walls
• प्राकारैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राकार
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सुकृतैः: well-made
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुकृत
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सितैः: white
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सित
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सुवर्णजालसंवीतान्: covered with a net/lattice of gold
• सुवर्णजालसंवीतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुवर्णजालसंवीत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• मणिकुट्टिमभूषितान्: adorned with gem-inlaid pavements
• मणिकुट्टिमभूषितान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मणिकुट्टिमभूषित
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• prākāra (ramparts/fortifications)
• suvarṇajāla (gold latticework)
• maṇikuṭṭima (gem-inlaid pavement)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the visible signs of orderly kingship—security (ramparts), refinement (gold latticework), and prosperity (gem-inlaid pavements). In the Sabha context, such splendor also foreshadows how wealth and display can become instruments of political power and temptation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is describing magnificent royal buildings/complexes: they are surrounded by high, well-built white walls, ornamented with gold latticework, and their courtyards have gem-inlaid mosaic pavements.