Shloka 8

अग्निभय-प्रसङ्गे मन्दपालस्य शोकः

Mandapāla’s Lament amid the Threat of Fire

Devanagari script

एकं शतसहस्रेण सम्मितं राष्ट्रवर्धनम्‌ । चित्रमुच्चावचैर्वर्णै: शोभितं श्लक्ष्णममवत्रणम्‌

Transliteration

ekaṃ śatasahasreṇa sammitaṃ rāṣṭravardhanam | citram uccāvacair varṇaiḥ śobhitaṃ ślakṣṇam amavatraṇam ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: “There was a single (object), valued at a hundred thousand, that enhanced the kingdom’s prosperity. It was wondrous—adorned with colors of many kinds, shining with beauty, smooth to the touch, and furnished with a covering.”

Word by Word

• एकम्: one
• एकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शतसहस्रेण: by/with a hundred-thousand (i.e., 100,000)
• शतसहस्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शतसहस्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• सम्मितम्: measured, amounting to
• सम्मितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम् + मा (मित)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• राष्ट्रवर्धनम्: that which increases the kingdom/prosperity
• राष्ट्रवर्धनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: राष्ट्रवर्धन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• चित्रम्: variegated, wonderful
• चित्रम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चित्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उच्चावचैः: with high and low (i.e., various)
• उच्चावचैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उच्चावच
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• वर्णैः: with colors
• वर्णैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• शोभितम्: adorned, beautified
• शोभितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ् (शोभित)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• श्लक्ष्णम्: smooth, fine
• श्लक्ष्णम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्लक्ष्ण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अमवत्रणम्: a covering/garment (reading uncertain)
• अमवत्रणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमवत्रण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how royal prosperity is often displayed and reinforced through valuable, well-crafted objects; it implicitly points to the ethical responsibility of rulers to use wealth in ways that strengthen the realm rather than merely indulge vanity.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśaṃpāyana describes a single highly valuable, beautifully adorned item—variegated in color, smooth, and covered—emphasizing its worth and its role as an enhancer of the kingdom’s splendor and prosperity.