Shloka 71

Kubera’s Fivefold Nīti and Protection of the Pāṇḍavas (वैश्रवणोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

तथा शालांस्तमालांश्व पाटलान्‌ बकुलानपि । माला इव समासक्ता: शैलानां शिखरेषु च,इसी तरह शाल, तमाल, पाटल और बकुल आदि वृक्ष उन शैलशिखरोंपर धारण की हुई मालाकी भाँति शोभा पा रहे थे

Transliteration

tathā śālāṁs tamālāṁś ca pāṭalān bakulān api | mālā iva samāsaktāḥ śailānāṁ śikhareṣu ca ||

Translation

వైశంపాయనుడు చెప్పెను—అలాగే శాల, తమాల, పాటల, బకులాది వృక్షాలు పర్వతశిఖరాలపై మాలలవలె అంటుకొని శోభించుచుండెను.

Word by Word

तथाthus, likewise

शालान्śāla trees

तमालान्tamāla trees

चand

पाटलान्pāṭala trees

बकुलान्bakula trees

अपिalso, even

मालाःgarlands

इवlike, as if

समासक्ताःattached, clinging

शैलानाम्of the mountains

शिखरेषुon the peaks

चand

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

śāla tree

tamāla tree

pāṭala tree

bakula tree

mountain (śaila)

mountain peak (śikhara)

garland (mālā)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse primarily offers poetic description rather than direct moral instruction, yet it implicitly affirms a dharmic vision of the world: nature displays order and beauty, suggesting steadiness and harmony even when human life is marked by trial (as in forest-exile).

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator (Vaiśampāyana) is describing a mountainous forest landscape where various trees appear densely set upon the summits, making the peaks look as if they are decorated with garlands.