Shloka 35
Arjuna’s Account of Tapas and the Kirāta Test; Revelation of Maheśvara and the Grant of the Pāśupata-Astra
ते जम्मुस्तूर्णमणाकाशं धनाधिपतिवाजिन: । प्रकर्षन्त इवा भ्राणि पिबन्त इव मारुतम्,धनाध्यक्ष कुबेरके वे घोड़े अपने साथ बादलोंको खींचते और वायुको पीते हुए-से तीत्र गतिसे आकाशमें उड़ चले
te jambhustūrṇam anākāśaṃ dhanādhipativājinaḥ | prakarṣanta iva bhrāṇi pibanta iva mārutam ||
Vaiśampāyana said: Kubera’s horses, swift as Jambha, surged up into the open sky. They seemed to be dragging the clouds along and, as it were, drinking in the wind—so tremendous was their speed—bearing the Lord of Wealth onward.
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse primarily heightens awe (adbhuta-rasa) through a vivid simile: divine power moves with such force that natural elements—cloud and wind—seem mastered. Ethically, it underscores the Mahābhārata’s recurring contrast between ordinary human limits and the vast capacities of divine or semi-divine beings, inviting humility and reverence rather than pride.
Vaiśampāyana describes Kubera’s steeds launching into the sky at extraordinary speed. Their motion is portrayed as so intense that they appear to pull clouds behind them and drink the wind as they fly, emphasizing the grandeur of Kubera’s conveyance and the supernatural pace of the journey.