Parva 3 Chapter 42: hiraṇyakaśipusabhāvarṇanam - description of hiraṇyakaśipu's assembly hall

vaiśampāyana said: In that assembly, the indra (king) of demons, lord hiraṇyakaśipu, was seated on a divine seat, having a circumference of four hundred cubits. divākaranibhe ramye divyāstaraṇasaṁbhṛte | rarāja suciraṁ rājaṣjvalatkāṣchanakuṇḍalaḥ ||3-42-2 O King! (O janamejaya! vaiśampāyana continued) Lord hiraṇyakaśipu, wearing blazing golden ear rings, governed for a long time, presiding in the assembly, having a beautiful divine roof, blazing like the sun. tasya daityapatermandaṁ virajaskaṁ samantataḥ | divyagandhavahastatra mārutaḥ sumukho vavau ||3-42-3 Around the demon king, a comfortable wind with divine fragrance, blew gently, devoid of any dust. tatra devāḥ sagandharvā gaṇairapsarasāṁ vṛtāḥ | divyatālena divyāni jagurgītāni gāyanāḥ ||3-42-4 There the deva-s, along with gandharva-s surrounded by groups of divine women sang divine songs accompanied by divine rhythms. viśvācī sahajanyā ca pramlochetyabhiviśrutā | divyā ca saurabheyā ca samīcī puṣjikasthalā ||3-42-5 The divine women viśvācī, sahajanyā, the one who is famous as pramlocha, divyā, saurabheyā, samīcī, puṣjikasthalā, miśrakeśī ca ramyā ca citrasenā śuchismitā | cārunetrā ghṛtācī ca menakā chorvaśī tathā ||3-42-6 miśrakeśī, ramyā, citrasenā, śuchismitā, cārunetrā, ghṛtācī, menakā as well as urvaśī, etāḥ sahasraśaścānyā nṛtyagītaviśāradāḥ | upatiṣṭhanti rājānaṁ hiraṇyakaśipuṁ tadā ||3-42-7 and also hundreds of divine women, experts in dancing and singing, were, then serving the demon king, hiraṇyakaśipu. hiraṇyakaśipustatra vicitrābharaṇāmbaraḥ | strīsahasraiḥ parivṛtastasthau jvalitakuṇḍalaḥ ||3-42-8 hiraṇyakaśipu, decorated with wonderful ornaments and dresses and wearing blazing ear rings, was surrounded by thousands of women. tatrāsīnaṁ mahābāhuṁ hiraṇyakaśipuṁ prabhum | upāsanti diteḥ putrāḥ sarve labdhavarāḥ purā ||3-42-9 As lord hiraṇyakaśipu, the one with powerful arms, was seated in the assembly, all the sons of diti were also seated, who obtained boons before. balirvairochanastatra narakaḥ pṛthivījayaḥ | prahrādo viprachittishcha gaviṣṭhaścha mahāsuraḥ ||3-42-10 bali, the son of virochana, naraka, the conqueror of earth, prahrāda, viprachitti, the great demon gaviṣṭha, ahantā krodhahantā ca sumanāḥ sumatiḥ kharaḥ | ghaṭodaro mahāpārśvaḥ krathanaḥ piṭharastathā ||3-42-11 ahantā, krodhahantā, sumanā, sumati, khara, ghaṭodara, mahāpārśva, krathana, piṭhara, viśvarūpaścha rūpaścha virūpaścha mahādyutiḥ | daśagrīvaścha vālī ca meghavāsā mahāravaḥ ||3-42-12 viśvarūpa, rūpa, virūpa, mahādyuti, daśagrīva, vālī, meghavāsa, mahārava, kaṭābho vikaṭābhaścha saṁhrādaśchendratāpanaḥ | daityadānavasaṅghāścha sarve jvalitakuṇḍalāḥ ||3-42-13 kaṭābha, vikaṭābha, saṁhrāda, indratāpana - all these demons and other demons were wearing blazing ear rings. sragviṇo vāgminaḥ sarve sarve sucaritavratāḥ | sarve labdhavarāḥ śūrāḥ sarve vigatamṛtyavaḥ ||3-42-14 All were wearing garlands. All were excellent speakers. All had good history of performing penances. All had received boons. All were valiant. All were devoid of death. ete cānye ca bahavo hiraṇyakaśipuṁ prabhum | upāsante mahātmānaṁ sarve divyaparicchadāḥ ||3-42-15 All these demons and many other demons wearing divine dresses were serving lord hiraṇyakaśipu. vimānairvividhairagryairbhrājanmānairivārchibhiḥ | sragviṇo bhūṣaṇadharā yānti cāyānti helayā ||3-42-16 The demons, wearing garlands and ornaments, mounting on several aerial vehicles sparkling with offerings, used to come (to the assembly) and go as though at leaisure. vicitrābharaṇopetā vicitravasanāstathā | vicitraśastrakavacā vicitradhvjavāhanāḥ ||3-42-17 The demons were decorated with wonderful ornaments. They were wearing beautiful clothes. They had wonderful weapons and shields. They had wonderful flagstaffs and vehicles. mahendracāpasaṅkāśairvicitrairaṅgadairvaraiḥ | bhūṣitāṅgā diteḥ putrāstamupāsanti nityaśaḥ ||3-42-18 They were wearing best and beautiful bracelets on the upper arms which were beautiful like rainbows. The demons, diti-s sons, served the demon king always. tasyāṁ sabhāyāṁ divyāyāmasurāḥ parvatopamāḥ | hiraṇyamukuṭāḥ sarve divākarasamaprabhāḥ ||3-42-19 In that divine assembly, all the demons, similar to mountains, were wearing golden crowns, dazzling like the sun. kanakamaṇivicitravedikāyā- mupahitaratnasahasravīthikāyām | sa dadarsha mṛgādhipaḥ sabhāyāṁ suraciradantagavākṣasaṁvṛtāyām ||3-42-20 The king of animals (man-lion) saw that assembly, having a beautiful stage decorated with gold and jewels, having streets decorated with jewels, having windows made of elephants tusks. kanakavimalahārabhūṣitāṅgaṁ dititanayaṁ sa mṛgādhipo dadarsha | dinakarakaraprabham jvalanta- masurasahasragaṇairniṣevyamāṇam ||3-42-21 The king of animals (man-lion) saw the son of diti (hiraṇyakaśipu), with his body decorated with golden garlands. hiraṇyakaśipu, served by the group of demons, dazzled with the splendor of the sun. iti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harivaṁśe bhaviṣyaparvaṇi nārasiṁhe dvicatvāriṁśo'dhyāyaḥ Thus this is the forty-second chapter of bhavis,hyaparva, harivaṁśa, khila of mahābhārata, manifestation as man-lion, description of hiraṇyakaśipu's assembly hall nīlakaṇṭha commentary · 3-42-1 tasyāmiti | nalvo hastachatuḥśataṁ tāvanmātre || · 3-42-3 mandaṁ virajaskaṁ ca yathā syāttathā vai vā || · 3-42-21 dadarshasyatra dadṛśe iti svarabhaktyākṣarapurṇaṁ jneyaṁ | dantagavākśāḥ jharokā iti bhāṣāyāṁ prasiddhāḥ || iti śrīmahābhārate khileṣu harivamshe bhaviṣyaparvaṇi ṭīkāyāṁ dvicatvāriśo'dhyāyaḥ ||