Shloka 28

मयेन सभानिर्माणम्

Maya’s Construction of the Assembly Hall

Devanagari script

तां सम तत्र मयेनोक्ता रक्षन्ति च वहन्ति च । सभामष्टौ सहस्राणि किंकरा नाम राक्षसा:,मयासुरकी आज्ञाके अनुसार आठ हजार किंकर नामक राक्षस उस सभाकी रक्षा करते और उसे एक स्थानसे दूसरे स्थानपर उठाकर ले जाते थे

Transliteration

tāṃ sabhāṃ tatra mayenoktā rakṣanti ca vahanti ca | sabhām aṣṭau sahasrāṇi kiṅkarā nāma rākṣasāḥ ||

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは語った。そこでは、マヤの宣言どおり、「キンカラ」と呼ばれる八千の羅刹が、その सभा（集会殿）を守護し、また持ち上げて運び—一つの場所から別の場所へと移し替えていた。

Word by Word

ताम्that (her/it)

सभाम्assembly-hall

तत्रthere

मयेनby Maya (the Asura architect)

उक्ताःordered/commanded (having been told)

रक्षन्तिthey protect

चand

वहन्तिthey carry/transport

चand

सभाम्the hall

अष्टौeight

सहस्राणिthousands

किंकराःservants/attendants

नामby name

राक्षसाःRakshasas/demons

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Maya (Mayāsura)

Sabhā (the assembly-hall)

Kiṅkara rākṣasas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how political grandeur and protection can be sustained through extraordinary means, inviting reflection on the ethical dimension of power—whether splendor and security rest on rightful (dharmic) support or on forces that are merely effective and awe-inspiring.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes the marvel of Maya’s constructed assembly-hall: eight thousand rākṣasas known as Kiṅkaras are assigned to guard it and even physically transport it, implying a hall endowed with movable, supernatural protection.