Shloka 18

Devanagari script

तदेष तपसां शत्रु: श्रेयसां विनिपातक: । निगृहीतो मया रोष: श्र॒ुत्वैवं वचनं॑ तव,इसलिये आज तुम्हारी बात सुनकर ही तपस्याके शत्रु और कल्याणमार्गसे भ्रष्ट करनेवाले इस क्रोधको मैंने काबूमें कर लिया है

Transliteration

tadeṣa tapasāṁ śatruḥ śreyasāṁ vinipātakaḥ | nigṛhīto mayā roṣaḥ śrutvaivaṁ vacanaṁ tava ||

Translation

“This anger is the enemy of austerity and the cause of a fall from the path of true welfare. Yet, on hearing your words spoken in this manner, I have restrained my wrath.”

Word by Word

• तत्: that (anger)
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तपसाम्: of austerities
• तपसाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• शत्रुः: enemy
• शत्रुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत्रु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रेयसाम्: of welfare/true good
• श्रेयसाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• विनिपातकः: one who causes downfall
• विनिपातकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनिपातक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• निगृहीतः: restrained/controlled
• निगृहीतः: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-ग्रह्
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Masculine/Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• रोषः: anger
• रोषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रोष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• श्रुत्वा: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Absolutive/Gerund (क्त्वा), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral)

• एवम्: thus/in this manner
• एवम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• वचनम्: speech/words
• वचनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Masculine/Feminine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

नाग उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nāga (speaker)
• roṣa (anger, personified as a force)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Anger (roṣa/krodha) destroys ascetic discipline (tapas) and causes one to fall from śreyas—the path of true and lasting good. Ethical speech and wise counsel can help restrain anger, making self-mastery a central dharmic virtue.

What is happening in the narrative?

The Nāga speaker acknowledges that anger had arisen, recognizes it as spiritually harmful, and states that hearing the other person’s words has enabled him to subdue that anger—signaling a turn from impulsive reaction toward disciplined restraint.