Shloka 21

Devanagari script

विमानपाला: शतशः: स्वर्गद्वाराभिरक्षिण: | पृष्टा आसनपालाश्न न जानीमेत्यथाब्रुवन्‌,सैकड़ों विमानरक्षकों, स्वर्गके द्वारपालों तथा सिंहासनके रक्षकोंसे पूछा गया; किंतु सबने यही उत्तर दिया--“हम इन्हें नहीं जानते”

Transliteration

vimānapālāḥ śataśaḥ svargadvārābhirakṣiṇaḥ | pṛṣṭā āsanapālāś ca na jānīmety athābruvan ||

Translation

शेकडो विमानपाल, स्वर्गद्वारांचे रक्षक आणि सिंहासनपाल यांना विचारले; पण सर्वांनी एकच उत्तर दिले— “आम्ही यांना ओळखत नाही.”

Word by Word

विमानपालाःguards of aerial cars (vimānas)

शतशःby hundreds; in hundreds

स्वर्गद्वाराभिरक्षिणःguards/protectors of heaven's gate

पृष्टाःhaving been asked; when asked

आसनपालाःguards of the seat/throne

नnot

जानीमwe know

इतिthus; 'so'

अथthen

अब्रुवन्they said

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Svarga (heaven)

svargadvāra (gates of heaven)

vimāna (celestial chariots/vehicles)

āsana (throne/seat)

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?

Status and proximity to power (even in heaven) do not ensure true recognition; dharmic worth is not validated by external rank but by inner merit and rightful conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

A group seeks identification or information and questions various celestial functionaries—guards of vimānas, the gates of heaven, and the throne—yet all deny knowing the persons in question, heightening the sense of mystery and testing assumptions about fame and access.