Shloka 5
रसातल-वर्णनम्
Rasātala Description: Surabhi, Phenapāḥ, and the Directional Cows
सर्वे होते श्रिया युक्ता: सर्वे श्रीवत्सलक्षणा: । सर्वे श्रियमभीप्सन्तो धारयन्ति बलान्युत,ये सभी श्रीसम्पन्न तथा श्रीवत्सचिह्से विभूषित हैं। सभी धन-सम्पत्तिकी कामना रखते हुए अपने भीतर अनन्त बल धारण करते हैं
sarve hote śriyā yuktāḥ sarve śrīvatsalakṣaṇāḥ | sarve śriyam abhīpsanto dhārayanti balāny uta ||
نارد نے کہا—وہ سب کے سب خوشحالی سے آراستہ ہیں؛ سب کے بدن پر شریوتس کا مبارک نشان ہے۔ دولت و اقبال کے خواہاں ہو کر بھی وہ اپنے اندر عظیم قوت سنبھالے رکھتے ہیں۔
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
External signs of auspiciousness and prosperity (śrī, śrīvatsa) often accompany worldly power, yet the verse also hints at the ethical tension that desire for wealth (śriyam abhīpsantaḥ) can intensify the drive to accumulate strength—an important backdrop to the political-moral crisis of the Udyoga Parva.
Nārada is describing a group of eminent figures as uniformly prosperous and marked by auspicious signs, emphasizing their shared status and capability: they seek wealth and therefore maintain great strength—setting the tone for the competitive, high-stakes diplomacy and mobilization that characterizes the Udyoga Parva.