Shloka 8
Mātali’s Proposal for Guṇakeśī and Sumukha’s Audience with Indra
कोई दो सिरवाले, कोई पाँच सिरवाले और कोई सात मुखवाले होते हैं। किन्हींके बड़े- बड़े फन, किन्हींके दीर्घ शरीर और किन्हींके पर्वतके समान स्थूल शरीर होते हैं ।।
bahūnīha sahasrāṇi prayutāny arbudāni ca | nāgānām ekavaṁśānāṁ yathāśreṣṭhaṁ tu me śṛṇu ||
Nārada said: “Here there are many thousands, tens of thousands, and even crores of Nāgas belonging to single lineages. Now listen to me as I describe them briefly, in due order, beginning with the foremost.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse emphasizes the vastness and diversity of creation and lineages, and models orderly transmission of knowledge: one should present complex information systematically—starting with what is foremost—so that listeners can grasp it without confusion.
Nārada introduces a catalog-like account of the Nāgas, stating that their numbers are immense even within single clans, and he prepares the audience to hear a concise description arranged by precedence.