Shloka 18

गदायुद्ध-समारम्भः

Commencement of the Mace-Duel Proceedings

Devanagari script

जटामण्डलसंवीत: स्वर्णचीरो महातपा:,राजन्‌! महातपस्वी नारद जटामण्डलसे मण्डित हो सुनहरा चीर धारण किये हुए थे। उन्होंने कमण्डलु, सोनेका दण्ड तथा सुखदायक शब्द करनेवाली कच्छपी नामक मनोरम वीणा भी ले रखी थी

Transliteration

jaṭāmaṇḍalasaṃvītaḥ svarṇacīro mahātapā | rājan mahātapassvī nāradaḥ jaṭāmaṇḍalena maṇḍito hiraṇmayaṃ cīraṃ dhārayām āsa | sa kamaṇḍaluṃ suvarṇadaṇḍaṃ ca sukhadaśabdaṃ karoti yā kaccchapī nāma manoramāṃ vīṇām api gṛhītvā ājagāma ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: Tâu Đại vương, đại ẩn sĩ Nārada hiện đến, đầu đội vòng tóc bện (jaṭā) và khoác y phục vàng rực sáng. Ngài mang theo bình nước (kamaṇḍalu) và gậy vàng, lại còn ôm cây vīṇā tuyệt mỹ tên Kacchapī, tiếng đàn êm dịu—những dấu hiệu của bậc hiền triết đem lời khuyên, sự tự chế và chỉ dẫn cát tường giữa cơn bão loạn của chiến tranh.

Word by Word

• जटा-मण्डल-संवीतः: covered/encircled with a circle of matted locks
• जटा-मण्डल-संवीतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संवीत (√वे/वी + सम्, क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्वर्ण-चीरो: wearing a golden garment
• स्वर्ण-चीरो: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चीर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महातपाः: a great ascetic (of great austerity)
• महातपाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महातपस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Nārada
• King (Janamejaya, implied by 'rājan')
• jaṭāmaṇḍala (matted-locks circle)
• golden garment (svarṇacīra)
• kamaṇḍalu
• golden staff (suvarṇadaṇḍa)
• vīṇā Kacchapī

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the moral authority of tapas (austerity) and disciplined living: Nārada’s ascetic marks (jaṭā, kamaṇḍalu, daṇḍa) and his soothing vīṇā symbolize guidance that steadies minds and recalls dharma, especially when society is shaken by conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes Nārada’s arrival and appearance—his ascetic adornment, golden attire, and the objects he carries (water-pot, golden staff, and the Kacchapī vīṇā)—preparing the listener for the sage’s role as a messenger/counselor within the events of the Shalya Parva.