Shloka 68
Sūrya-stava: Dhaumya’s Counsel and the Aṣṭaśata-nāma of Sūrya
ये च ते$नुचरा: सर्वे पादोपान्तं समाश्रिता: । माठरारुणदण्डद्यास्तांस्तान् वन्देडशनिक्षुभान्,आपके चरणोंके निकट रहनेवाले जो माठर, अरुण तथा दण्ड आदि अनुचर (गण) हैं, वे विद्युतके प्रवर्तक हैं। मैं उन सबकी वन्दना करता हूँ
ye ca te'nucarāḥ sarve pādopāntaṃ samāśritāḥ | māṭharāruṇadaṇḍādyās tāṃs tān vande'śanīkṣubhān ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “And all those attendants of yours who remain close at your feet—such as Māṭhara, Aruṇa, and Daṇḍa—who are said to set the lightning in motion: I bow to each and every one of them.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes humility and dharmic reverence: honoring not only the principal divine figure but also the supporting retinue that serves the cosmic function (here, the agents associated with lightning). Respect is extended to all contributors within a sacred order.
Yudhiṣṭhira offers salutations to the deity’s attendants who stand near the deity’s feet—named Māṭhara, Aruṇa, Daṇḍa, and others—describing them as beings who propel or activate lightning, and he bows to them individually.