Mahabharata · 2.3.25–26
॥
Devanāgarī
तां स्म तत्र मयेनोक्ता रक्षन्ति च वहन्ति च ॥
सभाम् अष्टौ सहस्राणि किंकरा नाम राक्षसाः ॥
अन्तरिक्षचरा घोरा महाकाया महाबलाः ॥
रक्ताक्षाः पिङ्गलाक्षाश् च शुक्तिकर्णाः प्रहारिणः ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
tāṃ sma tatra mayenoktā rakṣanti ca vahanti ca ||
sabhām aṣṭau sahasrāṇi kiṃkarā nāma rākṣasāḥ ||
antarikṣacarā ghorā mahākāyā mahābalāḥ ||
raktākṣāḥ piṅgalākṣāś ca śuktikarṇāḥ prahāriṇaḥ ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
ताम् स्म तत्र मयेन उक्ताःtām sma tatra mayena uktāḥthat [hall] there, by Maya's word,
रक्षन्ति च वहन्ति चrakṣanti ca vahanti caguard and bear it
सभाम् अष्टौ सहस्राणिsabhām aṣṭau sahasrāṇi-- the hall -- eight thousand
किंकराः नाम राक्षसाःkiṃkarāḥ nāma rākṣasāḥrakshasas named kinkaras;
अन्तरिक्ष-चराः घोराःantarikṣa-carāḥ ghorāḥflying through the sky, terrible,
महा-कायाः महा-बलाःmahā-kāyāḥ mahā-balāḥhuge-bodied, mighty,
रक्त-अक्षाः पिङ्गल-अक्षाः चrakta-akṣāḥ piṅgala-akṣāḥ cared-eyed and yellow-eyed,
शुक्ति-कर्णाः प्रहारिणःśukti-karṇāḥ prahāriṇaḥwith shell-like ears, [fearsome] warriors.
तांtāṃoriginal form "tāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मयेनोक्ताmayenoktāoriginal form "mayenoktā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
किंकराkiṃkarāoriginal form "kiṃkarā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अन्तरिक्षचराantarikṣacarāoriginal form "antarikṣacarā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
घोराghorāoriginal form "ghorā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महाकायाmahākāyāoriginal form "mahākāyā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
महाबलाःmahābalāḥoriginal form "mahābalāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
रक्ताक्षाःraktākṣāḥoriginal form "raktākṣāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
पिङ्गलाक्षाश्piṅgalākṣāśoriginal form "piṅgalākṣāś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शुक्तिकर्णाःśuktikarṇāḥoriginal form "śuktikarṇāḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"That hall there, by Maya's word, is guarded and borne by eight thousand rakshasas named kinkaras -- flying through the sky, terrible, huge-bodied, mighty, red-eyed and yellow-eyed, with shell-like ears, fearsome warriors."
Version
5d2d4ce8c016 · published Jul 16, 2026, 2:43:40 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here fearsome powers are set to serve rather than to destroy. It is significant that terrible rakshasas guard the abode of the righteous: subordinated to dharma, even fearsome might becomes a guardian rather than a threat. Thus the verse shows that any power directed toward good finds its rightful purpose; and next comes the wondrous pool within the hall.