Shloka 84

Kubera’s Fivefold Nīti and Protection of the Pāṇḍavas (वैश्रवणोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

अमानुषगतिं प्राप्ता: संसिद्धा: सम वृकोदर । लताभि: पुष्पिताग्राभि: पुष्पिता: पादपोत्तमा:

Transliteration

amānuṣa-gatiṁ prāptāḥ saṁsiddhāḥ sama vṛkodara | latābhiḥ puṣpitāgrābhiḥ puṣpitāḥ pādapottamāḥ ||

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ വൃകോദരാ! ആ ഉത്തമ വൃക്ഷങ്ങൾ മനുഷ്യാതീതമായ നിലയെ പ്രാപിച്ച്, സിദ്ധരായതുപോലെ തോന്നി. പൂത്ത അഗ്രങ്ങളുള്ള ലതകളാൽ അലങ്കരിക്കപ്പെട്ട്, അവ തന്നെ പുഷ്പസമൃദ്ധിയായി നിലകൊണ്ടു.

Word by Word

अमानुषगतिम्a non-human/superhuman course (state/way)

प्राप्ताःhaving attained

संसिद्धाःfully accomplished/perfected

समO (addressing), indeed

वृकोदरO Bhima (wolf-bellied)

लताभिःwith creepers/vines

पुष्पिताग्राभिःwith (vines) having flowering tips

पुष्पिताःin bloom/flowering

पादपोत्तमाःexcellent trees

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Vṛkodara (Bhīma)

pādapottamāḥ (excellent trees)

latāḥ (creepers/vines)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the Mahābhārata’s ethical-aesthetic idea that environments reflect inner and cosmic order: a place marked by purity and auspicious power appears ‘perfected’ and extraordinary, inviting reverence and self-restraint rather than exploitation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes to the listener (addressing Bhīma as Vṛkodara) a wondrous forest scene: the trees seem supernaturally perfected and are covered with flowering creepers, emphasizing the exceptional, almost otherworldly character of the setting.