Shloka 20
Pitāmaha-sabhā-varṇana & Hariścandra-māhātmya
Description of Brahmā’s Assembly and the Eminence of Hariścandra
अथर्वाड्विरसश्वैव बालखिल्या मरीचिपा: । मनो&न््तरिक्षं विद्याश्व वायुस्तेजो जल॑ं मही
atharvāḍvirasaś caiva bālakhilyā marīcipāḥ | mano 'ntarikṣaṃ vidyāś ca vāyus tejo jalaṃ mahī ||
Nārada berkata: “Atharvan dan para Aṅgirasa, para Bālakhilya yang meminum sinar Matahari, para Marīcipa; dan juga Minda, Antarikṣa (ruang pertengahan), Pengetahuan, Angin, Api/Cahaya, Air, serta Bumi—mereka ini disebut antara kuasa-kuasa ilahi yang memerintah unsur-unsur dan prinsip sebab-musabab alam.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames the world as governed by presiding powers—ṛṣis and deities connected with cosmic functions (mind, space, knowledge, and the elements). Ethically, it supports a worldview where order (ṛta/dharma) is maintained through recognized principles and their divine custodians.
Nārada is listing revered seers and cosmic principles as part of a broader enumeration of the powers/agents involved in creation and governance of the universe, identifying them as significant presences within the epic’s cosmological discourse.