Shloka 12
नारदेन गरुडात्मजानां नामकीर्तनम् | Nārada’s Enumeration of Garuḍa’s Descendants
सूर्यरूपाणि चाभान्ति दीप्ताग्निसदृशानि च । मणिजालविचित्राणि प्रांशूनि निबिडानि च
sūryarūpāṇi cābhānti dīptāgnisadṛśāni ca | maṇijālavicitrāṇi prāṃśūni nibidāni ca ||
नारद बोले—“ये सूर्य के समान तेजस्वी और प्रज्वलित अग्नि के सदृश दहकते प्रतीत होते हैं। मणियों की जालिकाओं से इनकी विचित्र छटा प्रकट होती है; ये भवन ऊँचे हैं और सघन रूप से एकत्रित भी।”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the dazzling allure of royal prosperity—sun-bright, fire-like, gem-adorned—suggesting how external grandeur can intensify pride and rivalry. In the Udyoga context (preparations for war), such splendor can serve as a backdrop to ethical testing: whether power and wealth are guided by dharma or become fuel for conflict.
Nārada is describing magnificent buildings/palatial structures, emphasizing their brilliance and ornate decoration. The imagery (sun and fire; jewel-net adornments; tall and densely set structures) paints a vivid scene of royal opulence within the broader Udyoga Parva atmosphere of political tension and impending war.