Shloka 58

Sūrya-stava: Dhaumya’s Counsel and the Aṣṭaśata-nāma of Sūrya

Devanagari script

त्वद्वीधितिसमुत्पन्ना नानावर्णा महाघना: । सैरावता: साशनय: कुर्वन्त्याभूतसम्प्लवम्‌,आपकी ही किरणोंसे उत्पन्न हुए रंग-बिरंगे ऐरावत आदि महामेघ और बिजलियाँ सम्पूर्ण भूतोंका संहार करती हैं

Transliteration

tvad-vīdhiti-samutpannā nānā-varṇā mahā-ghanāḥ | sairāvatāḥ sāśanayaḥ kurvanty ābhūta-samplavam ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Born from your very radiance, the great clouds—variegated in hue, like the Airāvata-class clouds and accompanied by thunderbolts—bring about a deluge that seems to overwhelm all beings.”

Word by Word

त्वद्वीधिति-समुत्पन्नाःarisen from your rays

नाना-वर्णाःof various colors

महा-घनाःgreat clouds

स-ऐरावताःtogether with (those called) Airāvata etc.

स-आशनयःtogether with thunderbolts/lightnings

कुर्वन्तिthey make/do

अ-भूत-सम्प्लवम्a deluge/destruction of beings

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Airāvata (as a cloud-class / evocative name)

mahā-ghanāḥ (great clouds)

āśani (thunderbolt/lightning)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the overwhelming power of the divine/cosmic principle: even natural forces like clouds and lightning are portrayed as arising from that higher radiance, inspiring humility and recognition of a governing order beyond human control.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a powerful presence, describing how from its radiance arise immense, multicolored storm-clouds with lightning, whose downpour appears capable of engulfing all beings—an image of cosmic-scale might.