Shloka 18

Mātali’s Proposal for Guṇakeśī and Sumukha’s Audience with Indra

Devanagari script

कण्व उवाच मातलिस्त्वेकमव्यग्र: सततं संनिरीक्ष्य वै पप्रच्छ नारदं तत्र प्रीतिमानिव चाभवत्‌

Transliteration

kaṇva uvāca | mātalis tv ekam avyagraḥ satataṃ saṃnirīkṣya vai papraccha nāradaṃ tatra prītimān iva cābhavat |

Translation

कण्व मुनि बोले—तब मातलि एकाग्र होकर एक नाग का निरन्तर निरीक्षण करते रहे। प्रसन्न-से होकर उन्होंने वहीं नारदजी से प्रश्न किया।

Word by Word

• कण्वः: Kanva
• कण्वः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कण्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मातलिः: Matali
• मातलिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातलि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/and then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• एकम्: one (single)
• एकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अव्यग्रः: undistracted, attentive
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अव्यग्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सततम्: constantly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत

• संनिरीक्ष्य: having closely observed
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-नि-ईक्ष्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada (usage)

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• पप्रच्छ: asked
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-छ् (पृच्छ्)
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• नारदम्: Narada
• नारदम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• प्रीतिमान्: pleased, delighted
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रीतिमत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

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

• अभवत्: became/was
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Imperfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

कण्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kaṇva
• Mātali
• Nārada
• Nāga

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined attention (avyagra) and respectful inquiry: careful observation followed by questioning a wise authority (Nārada) is presented as the proper way to understand signs, beings, or situations with deeper implications.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kaṇva narrates that Mātali closely watches a particular nāga for some time; appearing pleased by what he perceives, he then turns to Nārada and asks him about it, setting up an explanatory exchange.