Shloka 5
Khāṇḍava-dāha: Indra’s Countermeasures and the Nāga Aśvasena’s Escape (आदि पर्व, अध्याय २१८)
अलंकृता: कुमाराश्न वृष्णीनां सुमहौजसाम् | यानैर्हाटकचित्रैश्व चज्चूर्यन्ते सम सर्वश:,महान् तेजस्वी वृष्णिवंशियोंके बालक वस्त्राभूषणोंसे विभूषित हो सुवर्णचित्रित सवारियोंपर बैठकर देदीप्यमान होते हुए चारों ओर घूम रहे थे
alaṅkṛtāḥ kumārāś ca vṛṣṇīnāṃ sumahaujāsām | yānair hāṭaka-citraiś ca cac cūryante samaṃ sarvaśaḥ ||
Vaiśampāyana said: The boys of the mighty Vṛṣṇi clan, adorned with garments and ornaments, sat upon conveyances decorated with gold and, shining with youthful splendor, moved about everywhere in all directions. The scene conveys the prosperity and confidence of the Yādava-Vṛṣṇis, while also hinting at how worldly brilliance and power can become a backdrop to later moral testing in the epic.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily paints a scene of prosperity and youthful brilliance; ethically, it reminds the reader that external splendor and power are transient and can precede moments where dharma is tested—an important Mahābhārata motif.
Vaiśampāyana describes the powerful Vṛṣṇi clan’s boys, richly dressed and ornamented, riding on gold-decorated conveyances and roaming about in all directions, creating a vivid picture of festive or royal display.