Shloka 18

Mātali’s Proposal for Guṇakeśī and Sumukha’s Audience with Indra

Devanagari script

कण्व उवाच मातलिस्त्वेकमव्यग्र: सततं संनिरीक्ष्य वै पप्रच्छ नारदं तत्र प्रीतिमानिव चाभवत्‌

Transliteration

kaṇva uvāca | mātalis tv ekam avyagraḥ satataṃ saṃnirīkṣya vai papraccha nāradaṃ tatra prītimān iva cābhavat |

Translation

قال كَṇڤا: ثم إنّ مَاتَلي، غيرَ مُنصرفِ الذهن، ظلّ يراقب بثباتٍ ناغًا بعينه مراقبةً دائمة. ولمّا بدا كأنّ السرور قد ملأه، سأل ناردَ هناك—فدلّت حيرته ورضاه على أنّ ما رآه يحمل معنى يتجاوز ظاهر الصورة.

Word by Word

• कण्वः: Kanva
• कण्वः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मातलिः: Matali
• मातलिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातलि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/and then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• एकम्: one (single)
• एकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अव्यग्रः: undistracted, attentive
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यग्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सततम्: constantly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत

• संनिरीक्ष्य: having closely observed
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-नि-ईक्ष्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-छ् (पृच्छ्)
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• नारदम्: Narada
• नारदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• प्रीतिमान्: pleased, delighted
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रीतिमत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अभवत्: became/was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

कण्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kaṇva
• Mātali
• Nārada
• Nāga

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined attention (avyagra) and respectful inquiry: careful observation followed by questioning a wise authority (Nārada) is presented as the proper way to understand signs, beings, or situations with deeper implications.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kaṇva narrates that Mātali closely watches a particular nāga for some time; appearing pleased by what he perceives, he then turns to Nārada and asks him about it, setting up an explanatory exchange.