Adhyāya 223: Nāradasya Guṇa-kathana
Catalogue of Nārada’s Virtues
न ते पश्यामि भज़ारं न च्छत्रं व्यजने न च | ब्रह्मदत्तां च ते मालां न पश्याम्यसुराधिप
śakra uvāca | na te paśyāmi bhṛṅgāraṁ na cchatraṁ vyajane na ca | brahmadattāṁ ca te mālāṁ na paśyāmy asurādhipa ||
Śakra berkata: “Aku tidak melihat bejana dirajamu (untuk upacara bertuah), juga tidak melihat payung kebesaranmu, dan tidak pula kipas pengiringmu. Dan aku tidak melihat kalungan bunga yang dianugerahkan Brahmā kepadamu, wahai penguasa para Asura.”
शक्र उवाच
The verse highlights how external marks of sovereignty and divine favor—parasol, fans, ceremonial vessels, and even a Brahmā-bestowed garland—can disappear. It implicitly warns against pride in status and reminds that power and honor are impermanent and contingent on dharma and divine order.
Śakra (Indra) addresses the Asura chief and notes the absence of his customary royal emblems and the special garland granted by Brahmā. The observation signals a decline or loss of fortune, setting a tone of interrogation and moral scrutiny about the Asura’s changed condition.