Sabha Parva Adhyaya 10 Shloka 23 - Mahabharata | Indonesian | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 23

Vaiśravaṇa-sabhā-varṇanam

Description of Kubera’s Assembly Hall

Devanagari script

वामनैर्विकटै: कुब्जै: क्षतजाक्षैर्महारवै: । मेदोमांसाशनैरुग्रैरुग्रधन्चा महाबल:

Transliteration

vāmanair vikaṭaiḥ kubjaiḥ kṣatajākṣair mahāravaiḥ | medomāṃsāśanair ugrair ugradhanvā mahābalaḥ ||

Translation

Nārada berkata: Ia dikelilingi rombongan makhluk garang—kerdil, ganjil, bongkok, bermata darah, menggelegar suaranya—mengerikan, pemakan lemak dan daging. Di tengah pengiring yang demikian ngeri berdirilah sang Mahābali, pemegang busur yang dahsyat, menundukkan semua dengan wibawanya.

Word by Word

वामनैःby/with dwarfish (ones)

विकटैःby/with grotesque/terrible (ones)

कुब्जैःby/with hunchbacked (ones)

क्षतजाक्षैःwith blood-eyed (ones)

महारवैःwith great-roaring/noisy (ones)

मेदोमांसाशनैःwith fat-and-flesh-eating (ones)

उग्रैःwith fierce (ones)

उग्रधन्वाthe fierce-bowman (bearing a terrible bow)

महाबलःmighty/very strong

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

ugra-dhanvā mahābalaḥ (the mighty bow-bearing figure, contextually Śiva/Rudra in the sabhā narrative)

bhūta-gaṇa (hosts of beings: dwarfs, grotesques, hunchbacks, blood-eyed, loud-roaring attendants)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the contrast between outwardly terrifying forces and rightful authority: even when power appears dreadful through its attendants, true order in a royal assembly depends on legitimate sovereignty and disciplined control rather than mere appearance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada is describing a mighty, bow-bearing figure accompanied by frightening hosts—dwarfish, grotesque, hunchbacked, blood-eyed, loud-roaring, and flesh-eating beings—evoking the awe-inspiring entry/presence of a formidable divine power within the assembly context.