Shloka 20

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

Devanagari script

मातलिने कहा--देवर्षे! यह जो कौरव्य और आर्यकके आगे कान्तिमान्‌ और दर्शनीय नागकुमार खड़ा है, किसके कुलको आनन्दित करनेवाला है? ।।

Transliteration

Mātaline uvāca—Devarṣe! ya eṣa Kauravya-Āryakayoḥ agre kāntimān darśanīyaś ca nāgakumāraḥ tiṣṭhati, kasya kulam ānandayan? Kaḥ pitā jananī cāsya? katamasya eṣa bhoginaḥ? vaṁśasya kasya eṣa mahān ketubhūta iva sthitaḥ?

Translation

ମାତଲି କହିଲେ—ଦେବର୍ଷେ! କୌରବ୍ୟ ଓ ଆର୍ୟକଙ୍କ ସମ୍ମୁଖରେ ଯେ ଏହି କାନ୍ତିମାନ୍ ଓ ଦର୍ଶନୀୟ ନାଗକୁମାର ଦଣ୍ଡାୟମାନ, ସେ କାହାର କୁଳକୁ ଆନନ୍ଦିତ କରୁଛି? ଏହାର ପିତା ଓ ମାତା କିଏ? ଏହା କେଉଁ ନାଗରାଜଙ୍କ ପୌତ୍ର? ଏବଂ କେଉଁ ବଂଶର ମହାଧ୍ୱଜ ପରି ଦଣ୍ଡାୟମାନ ହୋଇ ଶୋଭା ବଢ଼ାଉଛି?

Word by Word

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पिता: father
• पिता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जननी: mother
• जननी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जननी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

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

• अस्य: of him/this (his)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• कतमस्य: of which (one) among (many)?
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: कतम
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भोगिनः: serpent (lit. the coiled one)
• भोगिनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोगिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वंशस्य: of the lineage
• Type: Noun
• Root: वंश
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• कस्य: of whom/which?
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• एषः: this (one)
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महान्: great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• केतुभूतः: having become a banner/standard; serving as an emblem
• Type: Adjective
• Root: केतु-भूत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• स्थितः: standing; stationed
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (स्थि) + क्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

कण्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mātali
• Devarṣi (divine seer)
• Kauravya
• Āryaka
• Nāgakumāra (serpent-prince)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse foregrounds the dharmic importance of knowing one’s origins and responsibilities: lineage is not mere pride, but a marker of duty, reputation, and the ethical expectations carried by a person who ‘stands like a banner’ for a family.

What is happening in the narrative?

Mātali, addressing a divine seer, points out a splendid young Nāga standing before Kauravya and Āryaka and asks for his identification—his parents, his grandfather among the serpent-lords, and the lineage whose glory he represents.