Shloka 9

ब्राह्मण–क्षत्रिय-श्रेष्ठता-विवादः

Arjuna–Vāyu Dialogue on Brāhmaṇa and Kṣatriya Precedence

Devanagari script

अनन्ता हाक्षया नित्यं भोगिन: सुमहाबला: | तेषां कुलोद्भवा ये च महाभूता भुजड़मा:

Transliteration

anantā hākṣayā nityaṃ bhoginaḥ sumahābalāḥ | teṣāṃ kulodbhavā ye ca mahābhūtā bhujaḍmāḥ ||

Translation

Reṇukā dit : «Ils sont sans fin et ne s’amoindrissent jamais : des Nāgas d’une force prodigieuse. Et ces grands êtres élémentaires (mahābhūtas) nés de leur lignée aussi sont pourvus de bras puissants.»

Word by Word

• अनन्ताः: endless, innumerable
• अनन्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनन्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अक्षयाः: imperishable
• अक्षयाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य

• भोगिनः: serpents (the hooded ones)
• भोगिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोगिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सु-महा-बलाः: very great in strength
• सु-महा-बलाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमहाबल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• कुल-उद्भवाः: born in their lineage
• कुल-उद्भवाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुलोद्भव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ये: who, those who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• महाभूताः: great beings
• महाभूताः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभूत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भुजङ्गमाः: serpents
• भुजङ्गमाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुजङ्गम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

रेणुक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Reṇukā
• Bhogin (Nāga/serpent beings)
• Mahābhūta (great beings/elemental beings)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes the vast, enduring power of certain beings (nāgas and related great beings) and highlights the significance of lineage—how extraordinary qualities are understood as continuing through a clan or family line.

What is happening in the narrative?

Reṇukā is describing a class of mighty serpent-beings as innumerable and inexhaustible in power, and she adds that other great beings arising from their lineage are likewise formidable and strong-armed.