Shloka 23

Pātāla-varṇana (Nārada’s Description of the Netherworld) / पातालवर्णनम्

Devanagari script

एतत्‌ सलिलराजस्यच्छत्रं छत्रगृहे स्थितम्‌ । सर्वतः सलिलं शीतं जीमूत इव वर्षति,और यह सलिलराज वरुणका छत्र है, जो छत्रगृहमें रखा हुआ है। यह छत्र मेघकी भाँति सब ओरसे शीतल जल बरसाता रहता है

Transliteration

etat salilarājasya cchatraṁ cchatragṛhe sthitam | sarvataḥ salilaṁ śītaṁ jīmūta iva varṣati ||

Translation

迦ṇ婆说道：“此乃水界之主伐楼那的华盖，安置于华盖之舍。它如雨云一般，向四方不断洒落清凉之水。”

Word by Word

एतत्this

सलिलराजस्यof the lord of waters (Varuṇa)

छत्रम्umbrella, parasol

छत्रगृहेin the umbrella-house (parasol chamber)

स्थितम्placed, standing, situated

सर्वतःon all sides, from every direction

सलिलम्water

शीतम्cool, cold

जीमूतःa cloud

इवlike, as if

वर्षतिrains, pours down

Speaker

कण्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

क

कण्व (Kaṇva)

व

वरुण / सलिलराज (Varuṇa, lord of waters)

छ

छत्र (parasol)

छ

छत्रगृह (parasol-house)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights divine, auspicious royal emblems: legitimate kingship is associated with protection and beneficence—symbolized here by a parasol that cools and refreshes all around, suggesting welfare extended impartially in every direction.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kaṇva points out a marvelous object kept in the parasol-house: Varuṇa’s parasol, which continuously showers cool water like a cloud, emphasizing the extraordinary, divine quality of the royal regalia being described.