Shloka 33

Lokapāla-samāgamaḥ—Arjuna Receives Astras from the World-Guardians

Book 3, Chapter 42

Devanagari script

स्वयैव प्रभया तत्र द्योतन्ते पुण्यलब्धया । तारारूपाणि यानीह दृश्यन्ते द्युतिमन्ति वै,वहाँ स्वर्गके निवासी अपने पुण्यकर्मोसे प्राप्त हुई अपनी ही प्रभासे प्रकाशित होते हैं। यहाँ प्रकाशमान तारोंके रूपमें जो दूर होनेके कारण दीपककी भाँति छोटे और बड़े प्रकाशपुंज दिखायी देते हैं, उन सभी प्रकाशमान स्वरूपोंको पाण्डुनन्दन अर्जुनने देखा। जो अपने-अपने अधिष्ठानोंमें अपनी ही ज्योतिसे देदीप्यमान हो रहे थे। उन लोकोंमें वे सिद्ध राजर्षि वीर निवास करते थे, जो युद्धमें प्राण देकर वहाँ पहुँचे थे

Transliteration

svayaiva prabhayā tatra dyotante puṇya-labdhayā | tārā-rūpāṇi yānīha dṛśyante dyutimanti vai ||

Translation

Disse Vaiśampāyana: Ali, os habitantes do céu brilham com a própria luz, obtida pelo mérito de suas ações justas. O que aqui se vê como formas semelhantes a estrelas—pontos luminosos, pequenos e grandes, por serem vistos de longe—são, na verdade, esses seres, cada qual resplandecente em sua própria morada, revelados a Arjuna, filho de Pāṇḍu. O trecho afirma que o esplendor dos mundos superiores não é concedido ao acaso, mas fruto de mérito conquistado.

Word by Word

स्वयाby (their) own

एवindeed/only

प्रभयाby (their) radiance

तत्रthere

द्योतन्तेthey shine

पुण्यलब्धयाobtained through merit

तारा-रूपाणिstar-forms

यानिwhich

इहhere

दृश्यन्तेare seen/appear

द्युतिमन्तिluminous

वैindeed/verily

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Svarga (heaven)

Arjuna

Pāṇḍu

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 presents an ethical causality: heavenly brilliance is the result of puṇya—merit earned through righteous action. Radiance is portrayed as self-manifesting and deserved, reinforcing the Mahābhārata’s emphasis that one’s deeds shape one’s destiny and status in higher realms.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a vision of the heavenly realm in which its residents appear as star-like points of light. From a distance they look like luminous clusters, but they are beings shining by their own merit-born radiance, which Arjuna is able to behold.