Shloka 11

अग्निभय-प्रसङ्गे मन्दपालस्य शोकः

Mandapāla’s Lament amid the Threat of Fire

Devanagari script

पाण्डुराभ्रप्रतीकाशैर्मनोवायुसमैर्जवे । सर्वोपकरणैर्युक्तमजय्यं देवदानवै:,उनकी कान्ति सफेद बादलोंकी-सी जान पड़ती थी। वे वेगमें मन और वायुकी समानता करते थे। वह रथ सम्पूर्ण आवश्यक वस्तुओंसे युक्त तथा देवताओं और दानवोंके लिये भी अजेय था

Transliteration

pāṇḍurābhra-pratīkāśair manovāyu-samair jave | sarvopakaraṇair yuktam ajayyaṁ deva-dānavaiḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：“它的光辉如淡白云霞；其疾速可与心念与风并驱。车具一应俱全，纵使诸天与达那婆，也不能将此车征服。”

Word by Word

पाण्डुराभ्रप्रतीकाशैःwith (those) having the appearance of pale clouds

मनःmind

वायुwind

समैःequal to; comparable with

जवेin speed; in swiftness

सर्वोपकरणैःwith all equipment/implements

युक्तम्furnished; equipped

अजय्यम्unconquerable

देवदानवैःby gods and demons

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

chariot (ratha)

Devas

Dānavas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the extraordinary, almost superhuman resources that shape epic outcomes: excellence in preparation (sarvopakaraṇa) and unmatched capability (ajayya) are portrayed as decisive forces, suggesting that power in the epic world is not merely personal valor but also the quality of one’s instruments and support.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana describes a chariot of exceptional brilliance and speed—cloud-white in radiance, as swift as mind and wind—fully equipped and so formidable that even gods and Dānavas could not conquer it.