Shloka 8

समुद्रदर्शनं दैत्यपुरोपगमनं च

Ocean Vision and Approach to the Daitya City

Devanagari script

ते मातलेश्वक्रुरतीव हृष्टा: सत्कारमग्रयं सुरराजतुल्यम्‌ । सर्वान्‌ यथावच्च दिवौकसस्ते पप्रच्छुरेनं कुरुराजपुत्रा:,साथ ही, उन्होंने अत्यन्त हर्षमें भरकर मातलिका देवराज इन्द्रके समान सर्वोत्तम विधिसे सत्कार किया। इसके बाद उन पाण्डवोंने मातलिसे सम्पूर्ण देवताओंका यथावत्‌ कुशल-समाचार पूछा

Transliteration

te mātaleś cakrur atīva hṛṣṭāḥ satkāram agryaṃ surarāja-tulyam | sarvān yathāvac ca divaukasas te papracchur enaṃ kururāja-putrāḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩耶那说道：库鲁王之子——般度五子——欣喜若狂，以最上等的礼遇款待摩多梨，如同亲自礼敬天帝因陀罗一般。随后，他们依礼如法，向他询问诸天众神的安泰与福祉。

Word by Word

• {'te': 'they', 'mātale': 'to/for Mātali (vocative/dative sense in context)', 'cakruḥ': 'they did

• they performed', 'atīva': 'exceedingly, greatly', 'hṛṣṭāḥ': 'delighted, thrilled', 'satkāram': 'honor, respectful reception, hospitality', 'agryam': 'foremost, excellent', 'surarāja-tulyam': 'equal to (that due to) the king of the gods (Indra)', 'sarvān': 'all (of them)', 'yathāvat': 'properly, according to rule, duly', 'divaukasas': 'the dwellers of heaven

• the gods', 'papracchuḥ': 'they asked, inquired', 'enam': 'him (Mātali)', 'kururāja-putrāḥ': 'sons of the Kuru king (here: the Pāṇḍavas)'}

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Mātali
• Indra (Surarāja)
• Pāṇḍavas (Kururāja-putrāḥ)
• Devas (Divaukasas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic etiquette: offering the highest respect to a worthy guest—especially a divine emissary—and speaking with propriety (yathāvat). It also models a broader ethical concern: asking after the welfare of the gods signifies alignment with and care for the stability of the cosmic order.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Pāṇḍavas, delighted, receive Mātali with exceptional honor comparable to that offered to Indra. After the reception, they formally inquire from him about the well-being of the celestial beings.