Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 15

Devanagari script

उर्वशी मेनका रम्भा मिश्रकेशी हाुलम्बुषा । विश्वाची च घृताची च पञ्चचूडा तिलोत्तमा

Transliteration

Urvāśī Menakā Rambhā Miśrakeśī Hāulambuṣā | Viśvācī ca Ghṛtācī ca Pañcacūḍā Tilottamā ||

Translation

ਭੀਸ਼ਮ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—ਉਰਵਸ਼ੀ, ਮੇਨਕਾ, ਰੰਭਾ, ਮਿਸ਼੍ਰਕੇਸ਼ੀ, ਅਲੰਬੁਸ਼ਾ, ਵਿਸ਼ਵਾਚੀ, ਘ੍ਰਿਤਾਚੀ, ਪੰਚਚੂੜਾ ਅਤੇ ਤਿਲੋਤ੍ਤਮਾ—ਇਹ ਦਿਵ੍ਯ ਅਪਸਰਾਵਾਂ ਵੀ ਸਿਮਰਨਯੋਗ ਹਨ।

Word by Word

• उर्वशी: Urvashi (an apsaras)
• उर्वशी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उर्वशी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• मेनका: Menaka (an apsaras)
• मेनका: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेनका
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• रम्भा: Rambha (an apsaras)
• रम्भा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रम्भा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• मिश्रकेशी: Mishrakeshi (lit. 'of variegated hair')
• मिश्रकेशी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिश्रकेशी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• अलम्बुषा: Alambusha (an apsaras)
• अलम्बुषा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अलम्बुषा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• विश्वाची: Vishvachi (an apsaras)
• विश्वाची: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वाची
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• घृताची: Ghritachi (an apsaras)
• घृताची: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: घृताची
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• पञ्चचूडा: Panchachuda (lit. 'five-crested'; name of an apsaras)
• पञ्चचूडा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पञ्चचूडा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• तिलोत्तमा: Tilottama (lit. 'the best among sesame-like [particles]'; name of an apsaras)
• तिलोत्तमा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तिलोत्तमा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Urvāśī
• Menakā
• Rambhā
• Miśrakeśī
• Hāulambuṣā
• Viśvācī
• Ghṛtācī
• Pañcacūḍā
• Tilottamā
• Apsarases (divine nymphs)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse contributes to a protective, auspicious remembrance: by invoking revered cosmic beings—including apsarases—one aligns with sacred order and seeks safeguarding from all beneficent powers, named and unnamed.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is reciting a long enumerative invocation (a kind of protective litany). This line lists prominent apsarases as part of that catalogue of divine and cosmic entities whose remembrance is intended to confer protection.