Shloka 8
अग्निभय-प्रसङ्गे मन्दपालस्य शोकः
Mandapāla’s Lament amid the Threat of Fire
एकं शतसहस्रेण सम्मितं राष्ट्रवर्धनम् । चित्रमुच्चावचैर्वर्णै: शोभितं श्लक्ष्णममवत्रणम्
ekaṃ śatasahasreṇa sammitaṃ rāṣṭravardhanam | citram uccāvacair varṇaiḥ śobhitaṃ ślakṣṇam amavatraṇam ||
Vaiśaṃpāyana disse: “Havia um único objeto, avaliado em cem mil, que aumentava a prosperidade do reino. Era maravilhoso — adornado com cores de muitos tipos, resplandecente de beleza, liso ao toque e provido de uma cobertura.”
वैशम्पायन उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights how royal prosperity is often displayed and reinforced through valuable, well-crafted objects; it implicitly points to the ethical responsibility of rulers to use wealth in ways that strengthen the realm rather than merely indulge vanity.
Vaiśaṃpāyana describes a single highly valuable, beautifully adorned item—variegated in color, smooth, and covered—emphasizing its worth and its role as an enhancer of the kingdom’s splendor and prosperity.