Shloka 7

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

Devanagari script

द्विपज्चशिरस: केचित्‌ केचित्‌ सप्तमुखास्तथा । महाभोगा महाकाया: पर्वताभोगभोगिन:

Transliteration

dvipañcaśirasaḥ kecit kecit saptamukhās tathā | mahābhogā mahākāyāḥ parvatābhogabhoginaḥ ||

Translation

Nārada disse: “Alguns tinham duas ou cinco cabeças; outros, do mesmo modo, sete faces. Eram poderosos em suas espirais e imensos de corpo, criaturas que desfrutavam de vastidões como montanhas.”

Word by Word

• द्विपञ्चशिरसः: having ten heads
• द्विपञ्चशिरसः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्विपञ्चशिरस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• केचित्: some (of them)
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क-चित्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• केचित्: some (others)
• केचित्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: क-चित्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सप्तमुखाः: seven-faced / having seven mouths
• सप्तमुखाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्तमुख
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तथा: likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• महाभोगाः: of great coils / huge-bodied (serpentine)
• महाभोगाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभोग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• महाकायाः: of great size / huge-bodied
• महाकायाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाकाय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पर्वताभोगभोगिनः: having coils like mountain-ridges / mountain-like coil-possessors
• पर्वताभोगभोगिनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर्वताभोगभोगिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• multi-headed serpents (bhoginaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores how immense power and extraordinary forms in the world can inspire awe and caution; ethical discernment lies in recognizing that sheer magnitude or marvel does not by itself indicate beneficence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada is describing a class of formidable serpentine beings—some with multiple heads and faces—emphasizing their gigantic bodies and vast, mountain-like coils as part of a broader depiction of extraordinary creatures.