Shloka 33

मयेन सभानिर्माणम्

Maya’s Construction of the Assembly Hall

Devanagari script

मणिरत्नचितां तां तु केचिदश्येत्य पार्थिवा: । दृष्टवापि नाभ्यजानन्त तेऊज्ञानात्‌ प्रपतन्त्युत,मणियों तथा रत्नोंसे व्याप्त होनेके कारण कुछ राजालोग उस पुष्करिणीके पास आकर और उसे देखकर भी उसकी यथार्थतापर विश्वास नहीं करते थे और भ्रमसे उसे स्थल समझकर उसमें गिर पड़ते थे

Transliteration

maṇiratnacitāṁ tāṁ tu kecid āśritya pārthivāḥ | dṛṣṭvāpi nābhyajānanta te ’jñānāt prapatanty uta ||

Translation

毗湿摩波耶那说道：有些国王走近那座池水，水面散布着宝石与珠玉；即便亲眼所见，也仍不能识其真相。为无明所惑，他们误以为是坚实的地面，遂坠入水中——此景正显外在的光华，若无辨识之智，足以迷乱判断。

Word by Word

मणिरत्नचिताम्covered/filled with gems and jewels

ताम्that (her/it)

तुbut/indeed

केचित्some

आश्येत्यhaving approached/come near (lit. having come to rest/settle near)

पार्थिवाःkings

दृष्ट्वाhaving seen

अपिeven/also

नnot

अभ्यजानन्तthey recognized/understood

तेthey

अज्ञानात्from ignorance / due to ignorance

प्रपतन्तिthey fall down

उतand/also (indeed)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

pārthivāḥ (kings)

maṇi (gems)

ratna (jewels)

pushkariṇī (pool/pond; implied by context)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights how ignorance (ajñāna) distorts perception: even direct sight is insufficient without discernment. External brilliance can mislead, and lack of true understanding leads to avoidable downfall.

What is happening in the narrative?

Some kings come near a gem-strewn pool; dazzled and confused, they fail to recognize it as water and, mistaking it for land, fall into it.