Shloka 21

Vaiśravaṇa-sabhā-varṇanam

Description of Kubera’s Assembly Hall

Devanagari script

उपासते महात्मानं तस्यां धनदमीश्वरम्‌ । ब्रह्मर्षि

Transliteration

upāsate mahātmānaṃ tasyāṃ dhanadam īśvaram | brahmarṣi-devarṣayaś ca tathānye ṛṣigaṇāḥ sabhāyāṃ virājamānāḥ | tebhyaḥ pṛthag bahavaḥ piśācā mahābalā gandharvāś ca lokapālaṃ mahātmānaṃ dhanadaṃ kuberam upāsate || bhagavān bhūtasaṅghaiś ca vṛtaḥ śata-sahasraśaḥ, nṛpaśreṣṭha, lakṣaśo bhūtagaṇaiḥ parivṛto ugra-dhanurdharaḥ mahābalaḥ paśupatiḥ (jīvānāṃ svāmī), śūladhārī, bhagadevatā-netra-nāśakaḥ, trilocano bhagavān umāpatiḥ, kleśarahitā devī pārvatī ca—etau ubhau vāmana-vikaṭa-kubja-lāla-netra-mahākolāhala-medo-māṃsa-bhakṣaṇa-nānāstra-śastra-dhāri-vāyu-sama-mahāvega-bhayānaka-bhūta-preta-gaṇaiḥ saha tasmin sabhāyāṃ sadā dhanadaṃ mitraṃ kuberaṃ upaviśataḥ |

Translation

ନାରଦ କହିଲେ—ସେହି ସଭାରେ ମହାତ୍ମା ଧନାଧିପତି କୁବେରଙ୍କୁ ଉପାସନା କରାଯାଉଥିଲା। ବ୍ରହ୍ମର୍ଷି, ଦେବର୍ଷି ଓ ଅନ୍ୟ ଋଷିଗଣ ସେଠାରେ ମହିମାରେ ଆସୀନ ଥିଲେ। ତାଙ୍କ ଛଡ଼ା ଅନେକ ପିଶାଚ ଓ ମହାବଳୀ ଗନ୍ଧର୍ବମାନେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଦିକ୍ପାଳ ଧନଦ କୁବେରଙ୍କୁ ଭକ୍ତିରେ ସମ୍ମାନ କରୁଥିଲେ। ତେବେ ଶତସହସ୍ର ଭୂତଗଣରେ ପରିବୃତ, ପଶୁପତି, ତ୍ରିଶୂଳଧାରୀ, ତ୍ର୍ୟମ୍ବକ, ଭଗଦେବଙ୍କ ନେତ୍ରନାଶକ ଉମାପତି ଭଗବାନ ଶିବ—କ୍ଲେଶରହିତା ଦେବୀ ପାର୍ବତୀଙ୍କ ସହ, ନାନାରୂପ ଓ ନାନାଅସ୍ତ୍ର-ଶସ୍ତ୍ରଧାରୀ ଭୟଙ୍କର ଭୂତ-ପ୍ରେତଦଳ ସହିତ ସଭାକୁ ପ୍ରବେଶ କରି, ସଦା ଧନଦାତା ନିଜ ସଖା କୁବେରଙ୍କ ପାଖରେ ବସିଲେ।

Word by Word

• उपासते: they worship / attend upon
• उपासते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आस् (धातु)
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, प्रथम, बहुवचन

• महात्मानम्: the great-souled one
• महात्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• तस्याम्: in that (assembly/place)
• तस्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्री, सप्तमी, एकवचन

• धनदम्: Dhanada (Kubera), giver of wealth
• धनदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

• ईश्वरम्: the lord
• ईश्वरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ईश्वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुं, द्वितीया, एकवचन

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Kubera (Dhanada)
• Brahmarṣis
• Devarṣis
• Ṛṣigaṇas
• Piśācas
• Gandharvas
• Lokapāla (as Kubera)
• Śiva (Paśupati, Trilocana, Umāpati, Śūladhārī)
• Umā / Pārvatī
• Bhūtas
• Pretas
• Sabhā (assembly hall)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage portrays a divinely ordered court where sages and supernatural beings honor Kubera as the rightful steward of wealth, while Śiva’s presence signals that power, prosperity, and awe-inspiring forces are ultimately integrated within cosmic order and reverence rather than mere possession.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada describes Kubera’s splendid assembly: sages sit there, various celestial and spirit-beings attend and worship Kubera, and then Śiva with Pārvatī arrives accompanied by vast hosts of bhūtas and pretas, taking a seat beside Kubera as his friend.