Shloka 23

मयेन सभानिर्माणम्

Maya’s Construction of the Assembly Hall

Devanagari script

दशकिष्कुसहस्राणि समन्तादायताभवत्‌ । यथा बल्लेर्यथार्कस्य सोमस्यथ च यथा सभा

Transliteration

daśakiṣku-sahasrāṇi samantād āyatābhavat | yathā baller yathārkasya somasyātha ca yathā sabhā

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: Balairung itu terbentang ke segala arah sejauh sepuluh ribu kiṣku. Ia dibentuk dengan sinar dan kemegahan yang sebanding dengan matahari dan bulan, lalu terserlah bagaikan dewan perhimpunan yang ajaib dan menjadi teladan—lambang kuasa diraja yang dipamerkan melalui pertukangan yang luar biasa.

Word by Word

दशten

किष्कुkrośa/measure (kisku, a unit of length)

सहस्राणिthousands

समन्तात्on all sides, all around

आयताextended, long, spacious

अभवत्was, became

यथाas, just as

बल्लेःof a creeper/vine

यथाas, just as

अर्कस्यof the sun

सोमस्यof the moon

यथाas, just as

चand

यथाas, just as

सभाassembly hall

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

sabhā (assembly hall)

Arka (Sun)

Soma (Moon)

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?

The verse highlights how royal authority is projected through visible order, scale, and brilliance. Such splendor can inspire awe and legitimacy, but it also foreshadows how displays of power may become settings for ethical testing—where dharma is upheld or violated in public view.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana is describing the extraordinary extent and radiance of the sabhā (assembly hall), measuring it as vast in all directions and likening its brilliance to the sun and moon, emphasizing its marvel and grandeur.