Shloka 3

Devanagari script

सुरासुरगणानां च देवर्षीणां च भाविनि | ननु नागा महावीर्या: सौरसेयास्तरस्विन:,भाविनि! सुरसाके वंशज नाग महापराक्रमी और अत्यन्त वेगशाली होते हैं। वे देवताओं, असुरों और देवर्षियोंके लिये भी वन्दनीय हैं। हमलोग भी अपने सेवकको वर देनेवाले हैं। विशेषतः मनुष्योंके लिये हमारा दर्शन सुलभ नहीं है, ऐसी मेरी धारणा है

Transliteration

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

Translation

ナーガは言った。「吉祥なる者よ、サウラセーヤの系より生まれ、武勇において強大、力において迅速なるナーガたちは、神々の群れにも、アスラの群れにも、また天の聖仙（デーヴァリシ）にも敬われるべき存在ではないか。これぞ彼らの偉大さである。」

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.