Shloka 17
वारुणी सभा — Varuṇa’s Divine Assembly
Nārada’s Description
ते तस्यां वरुणं देवं धर्मपाशधरं सदा । उपासते महात्मानं सर्वे सुचरितव्रता:
te tasyāṃ varuṇaṃ devaṃ dharmapāśadharaṃ sadā | upāsate mahātmānaṃ sarve sucaritavratāḥ || virocanaputro rājā baliḥ, pṛthvīvijayī narakāsuraḥ, prahrādaḥ, vipracittiḥ, kālakhañja-dānavaḥ, suhanuḥ, durmukhaḥ, śaṅkhaḥ, sumanāḥ, sumatiḥ, ghaṭodaraḥ, mahāpārśvaḥ, krathanaḥ, piṭharaḥ, viśvarūpaḥ, svarūpaḥ, virūpaḥ, mahāśirāḥ, daśamukhaḥ rāvaṇaḥ, vālī, meghavāsāḥ, daśāvaraḥ, ṭiṭṭibhaḥ, viṭabhūtaḥ, saṃhādaḥ tathā indratāpana-ādayaḥ sarve daityadānavasaṃghāḥ manoharakuṇḍalāḥ sundarahārāḥ kirīṭinaḥ divyavastrābharaṇadhāriṇaḥ tasmin sabhāyāṃ dharmapāśadhārī mahātmā varuṇadevaṃ sadopāsate | te sarve varadānāt śauryasampannā mṛtyurahitaś ca jātāḥ | teṣāṃ caritraṃ ca vrataṃ ca atiśayena uttamam ||
那罗陀说道：“在那会堂之中，他们恒常礼敬伐楼那——持‘法之绳索’的天神，伟大灵魂，始终坚定。其间，代底耶与达那婆——毗罗遮那之子巴利；征服大地的那罗迦阿修罗；般罗诃罗陀；毗钵罗质底；达那婆迦罗迦诃阇；苏诃奴；杜尔穆迦；商迦；苏摩那；苏摩提；伽陀陀罗；摩诃波尔湿婆；克罗他那；毗陀罗；毗湿瓦卢波；斯瓦卢波；毗卢波；摩诃尸罗；十面罗婆那；婆梨；梅伽婆娑；达沙婆罗；底底婆；毗陀布陀；三诃陀；因陀罗塔帕那等——佩以可爱耳环、华丽花鬘、宝冠与天界衣饰，不断向伐楼那——道德自制之守护者——致以敬礼。因得福愿，他们勇力具足，并被说为远离死亡；其行谊与誓戒，被称为格外至善。”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
Even beings famed for power and opposition to the gods are portrayed as acknowledging a higher moral order: Varuṇa, as bearer of the dharma-noose, symbolizes restraint and accountability. The verse suggests that true stability—whether in a court or in a life—depends on reverence for law, vows, and disciplined conduct, not merely on strength or boons.
Nārada describes a splendid assembly where hosts of Daityas and Dānavas, richly adorned, continually worship Varuṇa. He lists prominent figures among them and notes that, through boons, they have gained valor and a form of deathlessness, while maintaining exemplary vows and conduct within that setting.