Shloka 64
असुराणां पुराण्यासंस्त्रीणि वीर्यवर्तां दिवि । आयसं राजतं चैव सौवर्ण परमं महत्,पूर्वकालमें परम पराक्रमी तीन असुरोंके आकाशमें तीन नगर थे। एक लोहेका, दूसरा चाँदीका और तीसरा अत्यन्त विशाल नगर सोनेका बना हुआ था
asurāṇāṃ purāṇy āsan trīṇi vīryavatāṃ divi | āyasaṃ rājataṃ caiva sauvarṇaṃ paramaṃ mahat ||
Vyāsa said: In ancient times, the mighty Asuras possessed three cities in the heavens. One was made of iron, another of silver, and the third—supremely vast—was fashioned of gold. The passage evokes the moral contrast between dazzling power and material splendor on one side, and the inevitable vulnerability of pride and domination on the other, setting the stage for the downfall of fortified arrogance.
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Material grandeur and seemingly impregnable power (cities of iron, silver, and gold) do not guarantee moral legitimacy or lasting security; narratives of the Asuras often use such splendor to highlight how pride and domination invite eventual ruin when opposed by dharma.
Vyāsa introduces an ancient account: the Asuras possessed three heavenly cities—one iron, one silver, and one enormous golden city—setting up a mythic background (commonly associated with the Tripura motif) that explains later divine or heroic action against them.