Shloka 206
पाण्डव-वृष्णि-समागमः तथा अश्वमेध-अनुज्ञा | Reunion at the Kuru Court and Authorization of the Aśvamedha
अदर्शयन्निव तदा कुरून् वै दक्षिणोत्तरान् | राजन्! उस समय वह नगर कुबेरकी अलकापुरीके समान प्रतीत होता था। वहाँ सब ओर एकान्त स्थानोंमें स्त्रियोंसहित बंदीजन खड़े थे, जिनसे उस पुरीकी शोभा बढ़ गयी थी। उस समय हवाके झोंकेसे नगरमें सब ओर पताकाएँ फहरा रही थीं, जो दक्षिण और उत्तर कुरु नामक देशोंकी शोभा दिखाती थीं
adarśayann iva tadā kurūn vai dakṣiṇottarān |
Vaiśampāyana said: At that time it was as though the city itself was displaying the Southern and Northern Kurus. The banners, stirred by gusts of wind, streamed in every direction, making the royal city appear like Kubera’s Alakā—radiant, orderly, and prosperous—its splendor heightened by attendants standing about with women in secluded places. The scene underscores a king’s duty to maintain public auspiciousness and civic beauty as visible signs of stability and righteous rule.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage uses civic beauty and auspicious display—flags, orderly attendants, and a city likened to Alakā—to imply that a righteous king sustains visible prosperity and public auspiciousness, reinforcing social confidence and stability.
Vaiśampāyana describes a city scene where wind-driven banners flutter everywhere, making it seem as if the city is ‘showing’ the Southern and Northern Kurus; the city’s splendor is compared to Kubera’s Alakā, with attendants standing about in secluded places.