Shloka 16

Devanagari script

वेदीमष्टनलोत्सेधां सौवर्णा विधिनिर्मिताम्‌

Transliteration

vedīm aṣṭa-nalotsedhāṃ sauvarṇāṃ vidhi-nirmitām

Translation

Nārada said: “(He/they prepared) a golden sacrificial altar, constructed according to prescribed ritual rules, raised to the height of eight measures.” The line evokes the Mahābhārata’s recurring insistence that even amid conflict and crisis, actions—especially sacred rites—are expected to be performed with exactness and fidelity to injunctions, reflecting the ethical weight placed on correct procedure (vidhi) and intention in dharma.

Word by Word

• वेदीम्: altar
• वेदीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेदी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अष्टनलोत्सेधाम्: having a height of eight reeds
• अष्टनलोत्सेधाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अष्ट-नल-उत्सेध
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• सौवर्णा: golden
• सौवर्णा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौवर्ण
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• विधिनिर्मिताम्: made according to rule/rite
• विधिनिर्मिताम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधि-निर्मित
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• vedī (sacrificial altar)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the dharmic emphasis on performing sacred acts in accordance with vidhi (prescribed rule). In the Mahābhārata’s ethical world, correctness of method in ritual symbolizes discipline, legitimacy, and accountability—suggesting that power or intention alone is insufficient without adherence to rightful procedure.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada describes the preparation of a ritual altar: it is golden, properly constructed, and raised to a specified height (eight nalas). The statement functions as a concrete ritual detail, signaling that a formal sacrificial or consecratory act is being arranged with meticulous observance.