Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

मणिस्वस्तिकचक्राडुका: कमण्डलुकलक्षणा: । सहस्रसंख्या बलिन: सर्वे रौद्रा: स्वभावत:

Transliteration

maṇisvastikacakrāḍukāḥ kamaṇḍalukalakṣaṇāḥ | sahasrasaṅkhyā balinaḥ sarve raudrāḥ svabhāvataḥ ||

Translation

قال نارادا: «هنا تقيم ناغا تُعدّ بالآلاف. كلّهم شديدو البأس، ومخيفون بطبعهم. فمنهم من يحمل على جسده علامة الجوهرة، ومنهم من عليه رمز السڤاستيكا (svastika)، ومنهم من عليه شعار العجلة (cakra)، ومنهم من عليه علامة إناء الماء (kamaṇḍalu)».

Word by Word

• मणि-स्वस्तिक-चक्र-आडुकाः: those having (marks like) jewel, svastika, and discus
• मणि-स्वस्तिक-चक्र-आडुकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आडुका (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कमण्डलु-कलक्षणाः: having the mark/sign of a water-pot (kamandalu)
• कमण्डलु-कलक्षणाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कलक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सहस्र-संख्याः: numbering a thousand (i.e., in thousands)
• सहस्र-संख्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सहस्रसंख्या (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• बलिनः: strong, powerful
• बलिनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• रौद्राः: fierce, terrible
• रौद्राः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स्वभावतः: by nature, naturally
• स्वभावतः: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वभाव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तसिल्-अव्यय (ablatival adverb)

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Nāgas
• maṇi (jewel mark)
• svastika (emblem)
• cakra (wheel/discus emblem)
• kamaṇḍalu (water-pot emblem)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that beings of great power may be inherently formidable, and that external marks or auspicious emblems (maṇi, svastika, cakra, kamaṇḍalu) do not necessarily indicate gentleness; discernment is required when judging nature and intent.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada is describing a region inhabited by nāgas, emphasizing their vast numbers, strength, and fierce disposition, while distinguishing groups among them by the characteristic signs borne on their bodies.