Shloka 29

Mātali’s Arrival and Arjuna’s Ascent toward Amarāvatī (मातलिसंयुक्तरथागमनम् तथा इन्द्रलोकगमनारम्भः)

Devanagari script

घृताची मेनका रम्भा पूर्वचित्ति: स्वयंप्रभा । उर्वशी मिश्रकेशी च दण्डगौरी वरूथिनी,घृताची, मेनका, रम्भा, पूर्वचित्ति, स्वयंप्रभा, उर्वशी, मिश्रकेशी, दण्डगौरी, वरूथिनी, गोपाली, सहजन्या, कुम्भयोनि, प्रजागरा, चित्रसेना, चित्रलेखा, सहा और मधुरस्वरा--ये तथा और भी सहसीरों अप्सराएँ वहाँ इन्द्रसभामें भिन्न-भिन्न स्थानोंपर नृत्य करने लगीं। वे कमललोचना अप्सराएँ सिद्ध पुरुषोंके भी चित्तको प्रसन्न करनेमें संलग्न थीं। उनके कटि- प्रदेश और नितम्ब विशाल थे। नृत्य करते समय उनके उन्नत स्तन कम्पमान हो रहे थे। उनके कटाक्ष, हाव-भाव तथा माधुर्य आदि मन, बुद्धि एवं चित्तकी सम्पूर्ण वृत्तियोंका अपहरण कर लेते थे

Transliteration

ghṛtācī menakā rambhā pūrvacittiḥ svayaṃprabhā | urvaśī miśrakeśī ca daṇḍagaurī varūthinī ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: Ghṛtācī, Menakā, Rambhā, Pūrvacitti, Svayaṃprabhā, Urvaśī, Miśrakeśī, Daṇḍagaurī, and Varūthinī—these celebrated apsarases were present (in Indra’s assembly), adorning it with their beauty and art. The passage highlights the splendor and sensory allure of the divine court, while implicitly showing how even refined minds can be drawn outward by pleasure and spectacle—an ethical reminder about the power of temptation and the need for inner restraint.

Word by Word

घृताचीGhṛtācī (name of an apsaras)

मेनकाMenakā (name of an apsaras)

रम्भाRambhā (name of an apsaras)

पूर्वचित्तिःPūrvacitti (name of an apsaras)

स्वयंप्रभाSvayaṃprabhā (self-radiant; name of an apsaras)

उर्वशीUrvaśī (name of an apsaras)

मिश्रकेशीMiśrakeśī (she of variegated/mixed hair; name of an apsaras)

चand

दण्डगौरीDaṇḍagaurī (name of an apsaras)

वरूथिनीVarūthinī (name of an apsaras)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Ghṛtācī

Menakā

Rambhā

Pūrvacitti

Svayaṃprabhā

Urvaśī

Miśrakeśī

Daṇḍagaurī

Varūthinī

Indra (implied by Indra-sabhā context in the provided passage)

Indra-sabhā (Indra’s assembly; from the provided passage context)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse functions mainly as a descriptive catalogue of apsarases, but in context it underscores how powerful sensory beauty and entertainment can be, implicitly pointing to the ethical need for self-mastery (indriya-nigraha) even in exalted settings.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana lists prominent apsarases present in the divine assembly (Indra’s court, as indicated by the surrounding passage), setting the scene of celestial splendor and performance.