Anushasana Parva Adhyaya 171 Shloka 15 - Mahabharata | Hindi | Vedapath

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Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

उर्वशी मेनका रम्भा मिश्रकेशी हाुलम्बुषा । विश्वाची च घृताची च पञ्चचूडा तिलोत्तमा

Transliteration

Urvāśī Menakā Rambhā Miśrakeśī Hāulambuṣā | Viśvācī ca Ghṛtācī ca Pañcacūḍā Tilottamā ||

Translation

भीष्म बोले—उर्वशी, मेनका, रम्भा, मिश्रकेशी, अलम्बुषा, विश्वाची, घृताची, पंचचूडा और तिलोत्तमा—ये दिव्य अप्सराएँ भी स्मरणीय हैं।

Word by Word

उर्वशीUrvashi (an apsaras)

मेनकाMenaka (an apsaras)

रम्भाRambha (an apsaras)

मिश्रकेशीMishrakeshi (lit. 'of variegated hair')

अलम्बुषाAlambusha (an apsaras)

विश्वाचीVishvachi (an apsaras)

चand

घृताचीGhritachi (an apsaras)

चand

पञ्चचूडाPanchachuda (lit. 'five-crested'; name of an apsaras)

तिलोत्तमाTilottama (lit. 'the best among sesame-like [particles]'; name of an apsaras)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Urvāśī

Menakā

Rambhā

Miśrakeśī

Hāulambuṣā

Viśvācī

Ghṛtācī

Pañcacūḍā

Tilottamā

Apsarases (divine nymphs)

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 contributes to a protective, auspicious remembrance: by invoking revered cosmic beings—including apsarases—one aligns with sacred order and seeks safeguarding from all beneficent powers, named and unnamed.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is reciting a long enumerative invocation (a kind of protective litany). This line lists prominent apsarases as part of that catalogue of divine and cosmic entities whose remembrance is intended to confer protection.