Shloka 11
Mātali’s Proposal for Guṇakeśī and Sumukha’s Audience with Indra
आर्यको नन्दकश्नैुव तथा कलशपोतकौ । कैलासक: पिज्जरको नागश्नैरावतस्तथा,वासुकि, तक्षक, कर्कोटक, धनंजय, कालिय, नहुष, कम्बल, अश्वतर, बाह्ाुकुण्ड, मणिनाग, आपूरण, खग, वामन, एलपत्र, कुकुर, कुकुण, आर्यक, नन्न्दक, कलश, पोतक, कैलासक, पिंजरक, ऐरावत, सुमनोमुख, दधिमुख, शंख, ननन््द, उपनन्द, आप्त, कोटरक, शिखी, निष्ठूरिक, तित्तिरि, हस्तिभद्र, कुमुद, माल्यपिण्डक, पद्मनामक दो नाग, पुण्डरीक, पुष्प, मुद्गरपर्णक, करवीर, पीठरक, संवृत्त, वृत्त, पिण्डार, बिल्वपत्र, मूषिकाद, शिरीषक, दिलीप, शंखशीर्ष, ज्योतिष्क, अपराजित, कौरव्य, धृतराष्ट्र, कुहुर, कृशक, विरजा, धारण, सुबाहु, मुखर, जय, बधिर, अन्ध, विशुण्डि, विरस तथा सुरस--ये और दूसरे बहुत-से नाग कश्यपके वंशज हैं। मातले! यदि यहाँ कोई वर तुम्हें पसंद हो तो देखो
nārada uvāca |
āryako nandakaś caiva tathā kalaśapotakau |
kailāsakaḥ piñjarako nāgaś cairāvatas tathā |
vāsukiḥ takṣakaḥ karkoṭako dhanañjayaḥ kāliyaḥ nahuṣaḥ kambalaḥ aśvataraḥ bāhukaṇḍaḥ maṇināgaḥ āpūraṇaḥ khagaḥ vāmanaḥ elapatraḥ kukuraḥ kukuṇaḥ āryakaḥ nandakaḥ kalaśaḥ potakaḥ kailāsakaḥ piñjarakaḥ airāvataḥ sumanomukhaḥ dadhimukhaḥ śaṅkhaḥ nandaḥ upanandaḥ āptaḥ koṭarakaḥ śikhī niṣṭhūrikaḥ tittiriḥ hastibhadraḥ kumudaḥ mālyapiṇḍakaḥ padmanāmakaḥ (dvau nāgau) puṇḍarīkaḥ puṣpaḥ mudgaraparṇakaḥ karavīraḥ pīṭharakaḥ saṃvṛttaḥ vṛttaḥ piṇḍāraḥ bilvapatraḥ mūṣikādaḥ śirīṣakaḥ dilīpaḥ śaṅkhaśīrṣaḥ jyotiṣkaḥ aparājitaḥ kauravyaḥ dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ kuhuraḥ kṛśakaḥ virajā dhāraṇaḥ subāhuḥ mukharaḥ jayaḥ badhiraḥ andhaḥ viśuṇḍiḥ virasaḥ tathā surasaḥ—ete cānye bahavo nāgāḥ kaśyapavaṃśajāḥ |
mātale! yadi iha kaścid varaḥ tubhyaṃ rocate tarhi paśya ||
Narada said: “Aryaka, Nandaka, and also Kalaśa and Potaka; Kailāsaka, Piñjaraka, and Airāvata; Vāsuki, Takṣaka, Karkoṭaka, Dhanañjaya, Kāliya, Nahuṣa, Kambala, Aśvatara, Bāhukaṇḍa, Maṇināga, Āpūraṇa, Khaga, Vāmana, Elapatra, Kukura, Kukuṇa; and again Aryaka, Nandaka, Kalaśa, Potaka, Kailāsaka, Piñjaraka, Airāvata; Sumanomukha, Dadhimukha, Śaṅkha, Nanda, Upananda, Āpta, Koṭaraka, Śikhī, Niṣṭhūrika, Tittiri, Hastibhadra, Kumuda, Mālyapiṇḍaka; the two serpents named Padma; Puṇḍarīka, Puṣpa, Mudgaraparṇaka, Karavīra, Pīṭharaka, Saṃvṛtta, Vṛtta, Piṇḍāra, Bilvapatra, Mūṣikāda, Śirīṣaka, Dilīpa, Śaṅkhaśīrṣa, Jyotiṣka, Aparājita, Kauravya, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Kuhura, Kṛśaka, Virajā, Dhāraṇa, Subāhu, Mukhara, Jaya, Badhira, Andha, Viśuṇḍi, Virasa, and Surasa—these and many other Nāgas are descendants of Kaśyapa. Mātali, if any boon or choice among them pleases you here, then look and decide.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes lineage-awareness and discernment: Nārada identifies many Nāgas as descendants of Kaśyapa and invites Mātali to choose according to what is fitting. Ethically, it reflects the epic’s concern with knowing origins, qualities, and rightful selection when forming bonds or making consequential choices.
Nārada enumerates a long catalogue of Nāga names, presenting them as members of Kaśyapa’s line, and then addresses Mātali, telling him to look and select any preferred ‘vara’ (choice/boon/candidate) from among those present.