Shloka 16

अध्याय ४ — द्वारकानिमित्तानि, प्रभासगमनम्, मौसलप्रारम्भः

Omens in Dvārakā, Journey to Prabhāsa, and the Musala Outbreak

Devanagari script

ह्राद: क्राथ: शितिकण्ठोग्रतेजा- स्तथा नागौ चक्रमन्दातिषण्डौ | नागश्रेष्ठो दुर्मुख श्चाम्बरीष: स्वयं राजा वरुणश्लापि राजन्‌,राजन्‌! कर्कोटक, वासुकि, तक्षक, पृथुश्रवा, अरुण, कुज्जर, मिश्री, शंख, कुमुद, पुण्डरीक, महामना धुृतराष्ट्र, हाद, क्राथ, शितिकण्ठ, उम्रतेजा, चक्रमन्द, अतिषण्ड, नागप्रवर दुर्मुख, अम्बरीष, और स्वयं राजा वरुणने भी उनका स्वागत किया

Transliteration

hrādaḥ krāthaḥ śitikaṇṭhogra-tejās tathā nāgau cakramandātiṣaṇḍau | nāgaśreṣṭho durmukhaś cāmbharīṣaḥ svayaṁ rājā varuṇaś cāpi rājan ||

Translation

ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: ຮຣາດ ແລະ ກຣາຖ, ພ້ອມດ້ວຍ ສິຕິກັນຖະ ຜູ້ມີລັດສະໝີດຸດັນ; ນາກສອງຕົນ ຈັກຣະມັນດະ ແລະ ອະຕິສັນຑະ; ນາກຜູ້ເລີດ ດຸຣມຸຂະ ແລະ ອັມພະຣີສະ; ແມ່ນແຕ່ ພະຣາຊາ ວະຣຸນະ ເອງ—ໂອ ພະຣາຊາ—ກໍອອກມາຮັບຕ້ອນຮັບພວກເຂົາດ້ວຍກຽດສັກ.

Word by Word

ह्रादःHrāda (name of a Nāga)

क्राथःKrātha (name of a Nāga)

शितिकण्ठोग्रतेजाःŚitikanṭha and Ugratejas (Nāgas)

तथाand also

नागौtwo Nāgas

चक्रमन्दातिषण्डौCakramanda and Atiṣaṇḍa (two Nāgas)

नागश्रेष्ठःthe best of Nāgas

दुर्मुखःDurmukha (name of a Nāga)

चand

अम्बरीषःAmbarīṣa (name of a Nāga/king)

स्वयम्personally, himself

राजाthe king

वरुणःVaruṇa

श्लापिalso (emphatic)

राजन्O king

कर्कोटकःKarkoṭaka (Nāga)

वासुकिःVāsuki (Nāga)

तक्षकःTakṣaka (Nāga)

पृथुश्रवाःPṛthuśravā (broad-famed; name)

अरुणःAruṇa (name)

कुज्जरःKujjara (name)

मिश्रीMiśrī (name)

शङ्खःŚaṅkha (name; conch)

कुमुदःKumuda (name; lotus)

पुण्डरीकःPuṇḍarīka (name; white lotus)

महामनाःgreat-minded (one); Mahāmanā (name/epithet)

धृतराष्ट्रःDhṛtarāṣṭra (name)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Hrāda

Krātha

Śitikaṇṭha

Cakramanda

Atiṣaṇḍa

Durmukha

Ambharīṣa

Varuṇa

Nāgas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even amid catastrophe, dharma expresses itself through conduct—especially honoring guests and maintaining respectful protocol. The verse highlights that dignity and duty persist beyond human courts, extending into the nāga and Varuṇa’s realm.

What is happening in the narrative?

A group of prominent nāgas—named individually—and King Varuṇa himself are described as coming forward to welcome the arriving party. The emphasis is on formal reception and the stature of those offering it.