Shloka 78

कृतयुगवर्णनम् तथा राजधर्मोपदेशः

Kṛtayuga Description and Instruction on Royal Dharma

Devanagari script

विद्युन्मालापिनद्धाड: समुत्तिष्ठन्ति वै घना: । घोररूपा महाराज घोरस्वननिनादिता: । ततो जलधरा: सर्वे व्याप्रुवन्ति नभस्तलम्‌

Transliteration

vidyunmālāpinaddhāḥ samuttiṣṭhanti vai ghanāḥ | ghorarūpā mahārāja ghorasvananināditāḥ | tato jaladharāḥ sarve vyāpruvanti nabhastalam ||

Translation

വൈശമ്പായനൻ പറഞ്ഞു—മഹാരാജാ! മിന്നൽമാലകളാൽ അലങ്കരിക്കപ്പെട്ട ഘനമേഘങ്ങൾ ഉയർന്നു വരുന്നു. ഭയങ്കര ഇടിമുഴക്കത്തോടെ അവരുടെ രൂപം കൂടുതൽ ഭീകരമാകുന്നു. പിന്നെ ആ ജലധരങ്ങൾ എല്ലാം വ്യാപിച്ചു സമസ്ത ആകാശതലം മൂടുന്നു.

Word by Word

• {'vidyunmālā': 'a garland/chain of lightning', 'pinaddhāḥ': 'bound, fastened, adorned (with)', 'ghanāḥ': 'clouds

• dense masses (here: clouds)', 'samuttiṣṭhanti': 'rise up, surge forth', 'mahārāja': 'O great king (address to the listener, typically Janamejaya)', 'ghorarūpāḥ': 'of fearful form, terrifying in appearance', 'ghorasvana': 'terrible sound

• thunderous roar', 'nināditāḥ': 'resounding, roaring', 'tataḥ': 'then, thereafter', 'jaladharāḥ': 'water-bearers

• rain-clouds', 'sarve': 'all', 'vyāpruvanti': 'spread over, pervade, cover', 'nabhastalam': 'the surface/expanse of the sky'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Mahārāja (the king addressed, i.e., Janamejaya)
• clouds (ghanāḥ/jaladharāḥ)
• lightning (vidyut)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse primarily heightens the narrative mood: nature’s overwhelming power—lightning-adorned, thunder-roaring clouds covering the sky—signals a shift toward gravity and foreboding, reminding listeners of human smallness before larger forces that often accompany decisive events.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a storm-like scene: clouds rise, decorated with lightning, roaring with thunder, and gradually spread to blanket the entire sky, creating a fearful atmosphere.