Mahabharata — Shanti Parva, Shloka 21
Adhyāya 223: Nāradasya Guṇa-kathana
Catalogue of Nārada’s Virtues
Devanagari script
छत्र॑ं तवासीत् सुमहत् सौवर्ण रत्नभूषितम्
Transliteration
chatr̥aṁ tavāsīt sumahat sauvarṇa-ratna-bhūṣitam
Translation
釈迦羅は言った。「汝にはかつて、黄金で作られ宝玉で飾られた、きわめて大いなる王の天蓋（傘蓋）があった。」
Word by Word
छत्रम्umbrella, royal parasol
छत्रम्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootछत्र
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
तवof you, your
तव:
Adhikarana
TypePronoun
Rootत्वद्
Form—, Genitive, Singular
आसीत्was
आसीत्:
—
TypeVerb
Rootअस्
FormImperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular
सुमहत्very great, very large
सुमहत्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसुमहत्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
सौवर्णम्golden
सौवर्णम्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसौवर्ण
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
रत्नभूषितम्adorned with jewels
रत्नभूषितम्:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootरत्नभूषित
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
शक्र उवाच
Characters & Entities
श
शक्र (Śakra/Indra)छ
छत्र (royal parasol/umbrella)र
रत्न (jewels)स
सुवर्ण (gold)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
External emblems of power—like a golden, jewel-adorned royal parasol—signify worldly prestige but are ultimately secondary to dharma; the verse points toward reflecting on the transient nature of status and possessions.
Śakra (Indra) addresses someone by recalling a former possession: a magnificent royal parasol made of gold and decorated with jewels, invoking the person’s past royal splendor as part of a broader moral or evaluative discourse.