Shloka 8

मन्दर-समुद्रमन्थन-वर्णनम् / Description of the Churning of the Ocean with Mount Mandara

Devanagari script

हर्षादप्रतिमां प्रीतिं प्रापतु: सम वरस्त्रियौ । वच्रे कद्ग: सुतान्‌ नागान्‌ सहस्र॑ तुल्यवर्चस:

Transliteration

harṣād apratimāṁ prītiṁ prāptuḥ sama-varastriyau | vacre khaḍgaḥ sutān nāgān sahasraṁ tulya-varcasaḥ ||

Translation

శౌనకుడు పలికెను—ఆనందవశాత్తు ఆ ఇద్దరు శ్రేష్ఠ స్త్రీలు అపూర్వమైన ప్రీతిని పొందిరి. అప్పుడు కద్రూ సమాన తేజస్సుగల వెయ్యి మంది నాగపుత్రులను వరంగా కోరెను.

Word by Word

हर्षात्from/through joy

अप्रतिमाम्unmatched, incomparable

प्रीतिम्delight, affection

प्रापतुःattained, obtained

सम्together, fully

वरस्त्रियौthe two excellent women

वच्रेin/at the thunderbolt (vajra)

खड्गःthe sword

सुतान्sons, offspring

नागान्Nāgas/serpents

सहस्रa thousand

तुल्यवर्चसःof equal splendor

Speaker

शौनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

श

शौनक (Śaunaka)

two women (sama-vara-striyau)

khaḍga (sword)

nāga (serpents/nāgas)

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 highlights how extraordinary events and symbols (like a radiant sword) are framed as auspicious signs that intensify joy and confidence, suggesting that inner delight often arises when one perceives meaningful order and blessing in events.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śaunaka describes a moment of heightened happiness for two noble women, alongside the appearance/description of a brilliantly radiant sword, compared in splendor to a thousand nāgas—an image used to convey overwhelming brilliance and portentous significance.