Shloka 5

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

Devanagari script

मणिस्वस्तिकचक्राडुका: कमण्डलुकलक्षणा: । सहस्रसंख्या बलिन: सर्वे रौद्रा: स्वभावत:,ये सभी नाग सहस्रोंकी संख्यामें यहाँ रहते हैं। ये सब-के-सब अत्यन्त बलवान्‌ तथा स्वभावसे ही भयंकर हैं। इनमेंसे किन्हींके शरीरमें मणिका, किन्हींके स्वस्तिकका, किन्हींके चक्रका और किन्हींके शरीरमें कमण्डलुका चिह्न है

Transliteration

maṇisvastikacakrāḍukāḥ kamaṇḍalukalakṣaṇāḥ | sahasrasaṅkhyā balinaḥ sarve raudrāḥ svabhāvataḥ ||

Translation

Nārada sprach: „Hier wohnen Nāgas zu Tausenden. Alle sind überaus mächtig und von Natur aus furchterregend. Unter ihnen tragen manche das Zeichen eines Juwels, manche das Zeichen der Svastika, manche das Sinnbild des Rades (cakra), und manche das Zeichen des Wasserkruges (kamaṇḍalu) auf ihrem Leib.“

Word by Word

मणि-स्वस्तिक-चक्र-आडुकाःthose having (marks like) jewel, svastika, and discus

कमण्डलु-कलक्षणाःhaving the mark/sign of a water-pot (kamandalu)

सहस्र-संख्याःnumbering a thousand (i.e., in thousands)

बलिनःstrong, powerful

सर्वेall

रौद्राःfierce, terrible

स्वभावतःby nature, naturally

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Nāgas

maṇi (jewel mark)

svastika (emblem)

cakra (wheel/discus emblem)

kamaṇḍalu (water-pot emblem)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

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.