Shloka 42

ततस्तदू वस्त्रमजरं प्रावणोद्‌ वसुधाधिप: । संस्मृत्य नागराजं तं ततो लेभे स्वकं वपु:,तदनन्तर उन भूपालने नागराज कर्कोटकका स्मरण करके उसके दिये हुए अजीर्ण वस्त्रको ओढ़ लिया। उससे उन्हें अपने पूर्वस्वरूपकी प्राप्ति हो गयी

tatas tad eva vastram ajaraṁ prāvṛṇod vasudhādhipaḥ | saṁsmṛtya nāgarājaṁ taṁ tato lebhe svakaṁ vapuḥ ||

Darauf hüllte sich der Herr der Erde in jenes unvergängliche Gewand. Als er des Schlangenkönigs gedachte, gewann er sogleich seine wahre Gestalt zurück.

ततःthereafter
ततः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः
Formindeclinable (ablatival adverb: 'from that/thereafter')
तत्that
तत्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
Formneuter, accusative, singular
indeed/and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
Formparticle
वस्त्रम्garment/cloth
वस्त्रम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootवस्त्र
Formneuter, accusative, singular
अजरम्unaging/undecaying
अजरम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootअजर
Formneuter, accusative, singular (agreeing with वस्त्रम्)
प्रावणोत्put on/wore (draped)
प्रावणोत्:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र + अव + √वृ (वृञ्/वृ)
Formaorist (luṅ), 3rd person, singular, parasmaipada
वसुधाधिपःthe lord of the earth (king)
वसुधाधिपः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवसुधा-अधिप
Formmasculine, nominative, singular
संस्मृत्यhaving remembered
संस्मृत्य:
TypeVerb
Rootसम् + √स्मृ
Formabsolutive (क्त्वा/ल्यप्), indeclinable
नागराजम्the king of serpents
नागराजम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootनाग-राज
Formmasculine, accusative, singular
तम्him/that one
तम्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
Formmasculine, accusative, singular
ततःthen/thereupon
ततः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः
Formindeclinable
लेभेobtained/regained
लेभे:
TypeVerb
Root√लभ्
Formperfect (liṭ), 3rd person, singular, ātmanepada
स्वकम्one's own
स्वकम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootस्वक
Formneuter, accusative, singular (agreeing with वपुः)
वपुःbody/form
वपुः:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootवपुस्
Formneuter, accusative, singular

बृहदश्चव उवाच

बृहदश्व (Bṛhadaśva)
वासुधाधिप (the king; in context: नल Nala)
नागराज (Nāgarāja; in context: कर्कोटक Karkoṭaka)
अजर वस्त्र (the imperishable garment)

Educational Q&A

The verse highlights gratitude and right remembrance: honoring a benefactor (here, the serpent-king) and properly using what is given can restore one’s rightful state. Ethically, it affirms that assistance received should be remembered and reciprocated through respect and faithful action.

The king wraps himself in the imperishable garment given earlier and, upon remembering the serpent-king, immediately regains his own original body/form—signaling the end of a period of altered appearance and the return to his true identity.