Shloka 11

Devanagari script

यद्युष्टरात्रेडतिक्रान्ते नागमिष्यति पन्नग: । तदाहारं करिष्यामि तन्निमित्तमिदं व्रतम्‌,यदि आठ रात बीत जानेपर भी नागराज नहीं आयेंगे तो मैं भोजन कर लूँगा। उनके आगमनके लिये ही मैंने यह व्रत लिया है

Transliteration

yady uṣṭararātre 'tikrānte nāgamiṣyati pannagaḥ | tad āhāraṁ kariṣyāmi tan-nimittam idaṁ vratam ||

Translation

Sang brahmana berkata: “Jika setelah lewat delapan malam pun raja ular tidak datang, maka aku akan makan. Ikrar tapa ini kujalani semata-mata demi kedatangannya.”

Word by Word

यदिif

उष्टरात्रेon the eighth night

अतिक्रान्तेhaving passed/elapsed

नnot

आगमिष्यतिwill come

पन्नगःthe serpent

तदाthen

आहारम्food/meal

करिष्यामिI will do/make (i.e., take)

तत्that

निमित्तम्cause/reason

इदम्this

व्रतम्vow/observance

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

ब

ब्राह्मण (Brāhmaṇa)

प

पन्नग / नाग (serpent, nāga)

न

नागराज (serpent-king)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined restraint and clarity of intention in a vow: the brāhmaṇa sets a definite limit (eight nights) and ties his fasting to a specific ethical purpose, showing steadiness rather than impulsive austerity.

What is happening in the narrative?

A brāhmaṇa explains the condition of his observance: he is abstaining from food to prompt the coming of the serpent-king, but if the nāga does not arrive even after eight nights, he will end the fast and eat.