Shloka 20

अध्याय १ — न्यग्रोधवनोपवेशनम् तथा द्रौणिनिश्चयः

Night at the Banyan and Drauṇi’s Resolve

Devanagari script

नानातोयै: समाकीर्ण नानापुष्पोपशोभितम्‌ । पद्मिनीशतसंछन्नं नीलोत्पलसमायुतम्‌

Transliteration

nānātoyaiḥ samākīrṇaṃ nānāpuṣpopaśobhitam | padminīśatasaṃchannaṃ nīlotpalasamāyutam ||

Translation

三阇耶描绘那景象：林野之间，处处散布着各类水泽，繁花异卉点缀其间。诸池塘铺展着数百片莲床，莲花密覆，又伴有成簇的蓝色睡莲——在战争余烬的阴沉背景下，呈现出一幅宁静清丽的画面。

Word by Word

• नाना: various, many kinds of
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना

• तोयैः: with waters
• तोयैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तोय
• Form: neuter, instrumental, plural

• समाकीर्णम्: filled, crowded, strewn
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-कीर्ण (√कॄ/कीर्)
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• नाना: various, many kinds of
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाना

• पुष्प: flowers
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुष्प
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, plural (in compound sense)

• उपशोभितम्: adorned, beautified
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप-शोभित (√शुभ्/शोभ्)
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• पद्मिनी: lotus-pond, lake
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद्मिनी
• Form: feminine, nominative/accusative, singular (as first member of compound)

• शत: hundred
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, singular (as numeral in compound)

• संछन्नम्: covered, overspread
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-छन्न (√छद्)
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• नील: blue
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नील
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, singular (as first member of compound)

• उत्पल: water-lily
• Type: Noun
• Root: उत्पल
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, singular (as second member of compound)

• समायुतम्: joined with, accompanied by
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-आ-युक्त (√युज्)
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

Speaker

संजय उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sañjaya
• waters/ponds (toya, padminī)
• lotuses (padma)
• blue lotuses/water-lilies (nīlotpala)
• flowers (puṣpa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse offers no direct injunction; its ethical force lies in contrast—peaceful, life-filled nature is depicted immediately before/around acts born of rage and adharma, sharpening the reader’s awareness of how violence desecrates a world that is intrinsically beautiful and ordered.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sañjaya is painting a vivid setting: a region with many water-bodies and abundant blossoms, where lotus-ponds are covered with lotuses and blue water-lilies. This descriptive passage prepares the atmosphere for the events of the Sauptika episode.