Shloka 44

Adhyāya 6: Pañca-mahābhūta–guṇa-nirdeśa and Sudarśana-dvīpa

Five Elements, Sensory Qualities, and a Cosmographic Island

Devanagari script

यूपा मणिमयास्तत्र चैत्याश्वापि हिरण्मया:

Transliteration

yūpā maṇimayās tatra caityāśvā api hiraṇmayāḥ

Translation

Sañjaya said: There, the sacrificial posts were fashioned of gems, and even the ceremonial horses were made of gold—an image of dazzling royal splendor that signals immense wealth and the outward grandeur of ritual power.

Word by Word

• यूपाः: sacrificial posts
• यूपाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यूप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मणिमयाः: made of gems
• मणिमयाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मणिमय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• चैत्याः: shrines/monuments
• चैत्याः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चैत्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अश्वाः: horses
• अश्वाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अपि: also/even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• हिरण्मयाः: made of gold
• हिरण्मयाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिरण्मय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• yūpa (sacrificial posts)
• ceremonial horses (aśvāḥ)
• jewels (maṇi)
• gold (hiraṇya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how royal power often expresses itself through spectacular ritual display—gemmed sacrificial posts and golden ceremonial horses—inviting reflection on the difference between outward magnificence and inner virtue.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is describing a scene marked by extraordinary opulence: the ritual apparatus (yūpas) and even the horses associated with ceremonial observance appear as jewel-made and golden, emphasizing the grandeur of the setting being reported.