Shloka 1

वारुणी सभा — Varuṇa’s Divine Assembly

Nārada’s Description

Devanagari script

- नीलकण्ठने अपनी टीकामें इन सत्ताईस पावकोंके नाम इस प्रकार बताये हैं--अंगिरा

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | yudhiṣṭhira sabhā divyā varuṇasyāmitaprabhā | pramāṇena yathā yāmyā śubhaprākāratoraṇā ||

Translation

那罗陀说道：“噢，坚战啊，伐楼那的天界议事殿以无量光辉照耀不息。其长广尺度与阎摩之殿相等，周围的城垣与门阙亦美丽绝伦。”

Word by Word

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhishthira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सभा: assembly hall
• सभा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सभा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• दिव्या: divine
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• वरुणस्य: of Varuna
• Type: Noun
• Root: वरुण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अमितप्रभा: having immeasurable radiance
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमितप्रभा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रमाणेन: by measure; in dimensions
• प्रमाणेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• यथा: as; just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• याम्या: of Yama; Yama's
• Type: Adjective
• Root: याम्य
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• शुभप्राकारतोरणा: having beautiful ramparts and gateways
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ-प्राकार-तोरण
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Varuṇa
• Yama
• Varuṇa’s sabhā (assembly-hall)
• Yama’s sabhā (assembly-hall)
• prākāra (ramparts)
• toraṇa (gateways)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that divine governance is marked by order, proportion, and auspicious beauty: Varuṇa’s court, radiant and well-measured like Yama’s, symbolizes cosmic administration grounded in ṛta/dharma rather than mere power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada begins a description of Varuṇa’s celestial assembly-hall for Yudhiṣṭhira, comparing its size to Yama’s hall and praising its splendid walls and gateways, as part of a broader account of divine courts.