Shloka 3

Devanagari script

सुरासुरगणानां च देवर्षीणां च भाविनि | ननु नागा महावीर्या: सौरसेयास्तरस्विन:

Transliteration

surāsuragaṇānāṁ ca devarṣīṇāṁ ca bhāvini | nanu nāgā mahāvīryāḥ sauraseyās tarasvinaḥ ||

Translation

The Nāga said: “O auspicious one, are not the Nāgas—mighty in valor, swift in power, and born of the line of Sauraseya—worthy of reverence even to the hosts of gods and demons, and to the divine seers? Such is their greatness.”

Word by Word

• {'sura': 'god, deity', 'asura': 'demon, anti-god

• powerful non-deity being', 'gaṇa': 'group, host, multitude', 'surāsuragaṇānām': 'of the hosts of gods and demons', 'devarṣi': 'divine seer (sage among the gods)', 'devarṣīṇām': 'of the divine seers', 'ca': 'and', 'bhāvini': 'O auspicious one

• O lady of good fortune (vocative)', 'nanu': 'indeed

• is it not?', 'nāga': 'Nāga

• member of the serpent race', 'nâgāḥ': 'the Nāgas (plural)', 'mahāvīrya': 'of great strength/valor', 'mahāvīryāḥ': 'mighty, greatly valorous (plural)', 'sauraseya': 'descended from Sauraseya (a lineage/epithet)', 'sauraseyāḥ': 'those of Sauraseya lineage (plural)', 'tarasvin': 'swift, impetuous, energetic, powerful', 'tarasvinaḥ': 'swift and forceful (plural)'}

Speaker

नाग उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nāgas
• Suras (gods)
• Asuras
• Devarṣis
• Sauraseya (lineage/epithet)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes that true eminence is recognized across boundaries: beings of great valor and noble lineage become worthy of reverence even to powerful groups like gods, demons, and divine seers. It frames honor as arising from strength, excellence, and established stature.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Nāga speaker addresses an ‘auspicious one’ and asserts the extraordinary might and renown of the Nāga race, describing them as swift, heroic, and of the Sauraseya line, and as beings respected even by suras, asuras, and devarṣis.