Sabha Parva Adhyaya 9 Shloka 9 - Mahabharata | Kannada | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 9

वारुणी सभा — Varuṇa’s Divine Assembly

Nārada’s Description

Devanagari script

कम्बलाश्चतरौ नागौ धृतराष्ट्रबलाहकौ । (मणिनागश्न नागश्न मणि: शड्खनखस्तथा । कौरव्य: स्वस्तिकश्नैव एलापत्रश्ष॒ वामन: ।।

Transliteration

Nārada uvāca: Kambalāś cātarau nāgau Dhṛtarāṣṭra-balāhakau. (Maṇināgaś ca Nāgaś ca Maṇiḥ Śaṅkhanakhas tathā; Kauravyaḥ Svastikaś caiva Elāpatraś ca Vāmanaḥ. Aparājitaś ca Doṣaś ca Nandakaḥ Pūranas tathā; Abhīkaḥ Śibhikaḥ Śveto Bhadraro Bhadrēśvaras tathā. Maṇimān Kuṇḍadhāraś ca Karkoṭaka-Dhanañjayau.)

Translation

ಕಂಬಲ ಮತ್ತು ಅಶ್ವತರ ಎಂಬ ಇಬ್ಬರು ನಾಗರು; ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ಧೃತರಾಷ್ಟ್ರ ಮತ್ತು ಬಲಾಹಕ; ಅದೇ ರೀತಿ ಮಣಿನಾಗ, ನಾಗ, ಮಣಿ ಮತ್ತು ಶಂಖನಖ; ಕೌರವ್ಯ, ಸ್ವಸ್ತಿಕ, ಏಲಾಪತ್ರ ಮತ್ತು ವಾಮನ; ಅಪರಾಜಿತ, ದೋಷ, ನಂದಕ ಮತ್ತು ಪೂರಣ; ಅಭೀಕ, ಶಿಭಿಕ, ಶ್ವೇತ, ಭದ್ರ ಮತ್ತು ಭದ್ರೇಶ್ವರ; ಹಾಗೆಯೇ ಮಣಿಮಾನ್, ಕುಂಡಧಾರ, ಕರ್ಕೋಟಕ ಮತ್ತು ಧನಂಜಯ—ಇವರೆಲ್ಲ ನಾಗರು. ಇತಿ ಶ್ರೀಮಹಾಭಾರತದ ಸಭಾಪರ್ವದಲ್ಲಿ ಲೋಕಪಾಲಸಭಾಖ್ಯಾನಪರ್ವದಲ್ಲಿ ‘ವರುಣಸಭಾವರ್ಣನ’ ಎಂಬ ಒಂಬತ್ತನೇ ಅಧ್ಯಾಯ.

Word by Word

कम्बलाःKambala (name of a nāga)

चand

अश्वतरःAśvatara (name of a nāga)

धृतराष्ट्रःDhṛtarāṣṭra (name of a nāga)

बलाहकःBalāhaka (name of a nāga)

मणिनागःMaṇināga (jewel-nāga; proper name)

नागःNāga (proper name here)

मणिःMaṇi (proper name; lit. jewel)

शंखनखःŚaṅkhanakha (conch-nailed; proper name)

तथाalso/likewise

कौरव्यःKauravya (proper name)

स्वस्तिकःSvastika (proper name)

एवindeed/just

एलापत्रःElāpatra (cardamom-leaf; proper name)

वामनःVāmana (proper name; lit. dwarf)

अपराजितःAparājita (unconquered; proper name)

दोषःDoṣa (proper name; lit. fault/night)

नन्दकःNandaka (proper name)

पूरणःPūraṇa (proper name; lit. filling/completing)

तथाalso/likewise

अभीकःAbhīka (proper name)

शिभिकःŚibhika (proper name)

श्वेतःŚveta (proper name; lit. white)

भद्रःBhadra (proper name; lit. auspicious)

भद्रेश्वरःBhadreśvara (lord of Bhadra/auspicious lord; proper name)

तथाalso/likewise

मणिमान्Maṇimān (jewel-possessing; proper name)

कुण्डधारःKuṇḍadhāra (earring-bearer; proper name)

चand

कर्कोटकःKarkoṭaka (proper name)

धनंजयःDhanañjaya (conqueror of wealth; proper name)

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Kambala

Aśvatara

Dhṛtarāṣṭra (Nāga)

Balāhaka

Maṇināga

Nāga (proper name)

Maṇi

Śaṅkhanakha

Kauravya

Svastika

Elāpatra

Vāmana

Aparājita

Doṣa

Nandaka

Pūraṇa

Abhīka

Śibhika

Śveta

Bhadra

Bhadreśvara

Maṇimān

Kuṇḍadhāra

Karkoṭaka

Dhanañjaya

Varuṇa (implied by Varuṇa-sabhā description)

Varuṇa-sabhā (Varuṇa’s assembly hall)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse primarily teaches through imagery: the world of dharma is portrayed as an ordered cosmos with ranked assemblies and attendants. By enumerating powerful nāgas within Varuṇa’s sphere, it suggests that even formidable beings have places and duties within a larger moral and ritual governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

During the account of the Lokapālas’ assembly halls, Nārada describes Varuṇa’s court and lists notable nāga beings present there, emphasizing the grandeur and populated nature of the divine assembly.