Shloka 3

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

Devanagari script

श्वेताचलनिभाकारो दिव्याभरणभूषित: । सहसत धारयन्‌ मूर्थ्ना ज्वालाजिह्दो महाबल:

Transliteration

śvetācalanibhākāro divyābharaṇabhūṣitaḥ | sahasraśīrṣaṃ dhārayan mūrdhnā jvālājihvo mahābalaḥ ||

Translation

قال نارادا: «يبدو كجبلٍ أبيض، مُتحلّيًا بحُليٍّ إلهية. يحمل على هامته ألفَ رأس، ولسانه كلسانِ لهبِ النار، وهو عظيمُ القوة».

Word by Word

• श्वेताचलनिभाकारः: whose form is like a white mountain
• श्वेताचलनिभाकारः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वेताचल-निभ-आकार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दिव्याभरणभूषितः: adorned with divine ornaments
• दिव्याभरणभूषितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दिव्य-आभरण-भूषित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सहस्रत्: thousands (of)
• सहस्रत्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सहस्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• धारयन्: bearing, holding
• धारयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: धृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मूर्ध्ना: with (his) head
• मूर्ध्ना: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• ज्वालाजिह्वः: whose tongue is (like) flame
• ज्वालाजिह्वः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्वाला-जिह्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महाबलः: of great strength
• महाबलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महा-बल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Śeṣa/Ananta (implied by sahasraśīrṣa and the Gītā Press gloss)
• Kailāsa (from the accompanying Hindi gloss)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights divine majesty as a sign of cosmic responsibility: immense power (mahābala) is portrayed as ordered and sustaining (dhārayan), inspiring reverence and reminding listeners that true greatness supports dharma rather than serving ego.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada is describing a formidable divine being—understood in context as Śeṣa/Ananta—using vivid epithets (white-mountain form, thousand heads, flame-like tongue, divine ornaments) to convey his cosmic stature and awe-inspiring presence.