अश्वपादूत्खनत्क्ष्माजरेणुपूरावृताम्बरम् । हास्तिकोत्तम्भितकरवाताट्टालकगोपितम् ॥ ८ ॥
aśvapādūtkhanatkṣmājarēṇupūrāvṛtāmbaram | hāstikōttambhitakaravātāṭṭālakagōpitam || 8 ||
Translation
the sky covered by the floods of dust raised from the ground by horses' hooves; sheltered by turrets of elephants held up against the wind;
Word by word
- aśva
- of horses
- pādū
- (pāda) by the hooves
- utkhanat
- raised
- kṣmā
- from the ground
- ja
- arising
- rēṇu
- of dust
- pūra
- by the floods
- āvṛta
- covered
- ambaram
- the sky
- hāstika
- of elephants
- uttambhita
- held up
- kara
- rays
- vāta
- against the wind
- aṭṭālaka
- by turrets
- gōpitam
- sheltered
Meaning
The commentary: the sky was covered by the dust dug up by the horses' hooves, but he himself was protected from the dust, the sun's rays and the wind by the howdahs, made of gold, silver and pearls, raised on the elephants.