Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 14

Devanagari script

जलेश्वरस्तु हृत्वा तामनयत्‌ स्वं पुरं प्रति । परमाद्भुतसंकाशं षघट्सहस्रशतह्नदम्‌,'जलेश्वर वरुण उस स्त्रीको हरकर अपने परम अद्भुत नगरमें ले आये; जहाँ छ: हजार बिजलियोंका प्रकाश* छा रहा था

Transliteration

jaleśvaras tu hṛtvā tām anayāt svaṁ puraṁ prati | paramādbhuta-saṅkāśaṁ ṣaṭ-sahasra-śata-hradam ||

Translation

水界之主伐楼那掳走了她，携她前往自己的城都——那是一处极其奇妙的境界，光辉异常，宛如无数闪电齐耀。

Word by Word

• जलेश्वरः: the lord of waters (Varuṇa)
• जलेश्वरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जलेश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• हृत्वा: having taken away/abducted
• Type: Verb
• Root: हृ
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Active, Non-finite

• ताम्: her/that (woman)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अनयत्: led/brought
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी
• Form: Imperfect (लङ्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• स्वम्: his own
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्व
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पुरम्: city
• पुरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रति: towards
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति

• परम: supremely/very
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अद्भुत: marvellous
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अद्भुत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• संकाशम्: having the appearance of / resembling
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संकाश
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• षट्: six
• Type: Noun
• Root: षट्

• घट: pot (as a counting unit in compounds)
• Type: Noun
• Root: घट
• Form: Masculine

• सहस्र: thousand
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र
• Form: Neuter

• शत: hundred
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter

• ह्नदम्: lake/pond
• Type: Noun
• Root: ह्नद
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

अजुन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Arjuna
• Varuṇa
• Varuṇa’s city (Varuṇapura)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the overwhelming power of divine beings and the moral tension created when such power is used to seize another’s agency; it invites reflection on dharma when confronted with might, wonder, and coercion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Arjuna narrates that Varuṇa, lord of the waters, took the woman away and brought her to his own astonishing city, described as dazzling and extraordinary in appearance.