Shloka 131

Devanagari script

आक्रीडशभूमिं देवानां गन्धर्वाप्सरसां तथा । उद्यानानि कुबेरस्थ समानि विषमाणि च

Transliteration

ākrīḍaśabhūmiṃ devānāṃ gandharvāpsarasāṃ tathā | udyānāni kuberastha samāni viṣamāṇi ca

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “There were also the gods’ sporting-grounds, and likewise those of the Gandharvas and Apsarases; and there were gardens belonging to Kubera—some level and even, others uneven and varied.”

Word by Word

• आक्रीडशभूमिम्: playground; sporting-ground
• आक्रीडशभूमिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आक्रीडशभूमि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• गन्धर्वाप्सरसाम्: of Gandharvas and Apsarases
• गन्धर्वाप्सरसाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्धर्व + अप्सरस्
• Form: Masculine+Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• तथा: and also; likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• उद्यानानि: gardens; pleasure-groves
• उद्यानानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उद्यान
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• कुबेरस्थ: belonging to/located in Kubera's (realm)
• कुबेरस्थ: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुबेरस्थ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• समानि: similar; equal
• समानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समान
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• विषमाणि: unequal; varied
• विषमाणि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विषम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Devas
• Gandharvas
• Apsarases
• Kubera
• Ākrīḍaśa-bhūmi (sporting-grounds)
• Udyāna (gardens)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the Mahābhārata’s vision of ordered yet diverse cosmic realms: even in divine domains there is variety (samāni/viṣamāṇi), suggesting that abundance and beauty can coexist with difference and complexity rather than uniformity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana continues a descriptive passage portraying splendid celestial locales—playgrounds and pleasure-gardens associated with gods, Gandharvas, Apsarases, and Kubera—emphasizing the grandeur and richness of the setting being narrated.