Shloka 8

Devanagari script

नागभायोवाच आर्य: सूर्यरथं वोढुं गतोडसौ मासचारिक: । सप्ताष्टभिर्दिनैर्विप्र दर्शयिष्यत्यसंशयम्‌

Transliteration

Nāgabhāryovāca: āryaḥ sūryarathaṁ voḍhuṁ gato ’sau māsacārikaḥ | saptāṣṭabhir dinair vipra darśayiṣyaty asaṁśayam ||

Translation

नागपत्नी उवाच—आर्य विप्रवर! मम भर्ता सूर्यस्य रथं वोढुं गतः। एषोऽस्य संवत्सरे प्रतिवर्षं मासमात्रं कर्तव्यः। सप्ताष्टभिर्दिनैरेव, विप्र, निःसंशयं स इह दर्शनं दास्यति।

Word by Word

• {'nāgabhāryā': 'wife of a Nāga (serpent-being)', 'uvāca': 'said', 'āryaḥ': 'noble, venerable person', 'sūrya-ratham': 'the chariot of Sūrya (the Sun-god)', 'voḍhum': 'to carry, to bear (as a burden/duty)', 'gataḥ': 'gone, departed', 'asau': 'that (person), he', 'māsa-cārikaḥ': 'one whose course/service lasts a month

• engaged in a month-long duty', 'saptāṣṭabhiḥ': 'with seven or eight', 'dinaiḥ': 'days', 'vipra': 'brāhmaṇa

• learned priest/sage', 'darśayiṣyati': 'will show himself

• will appear (give darśana)', 'asaṁśayam': 'without doubt, certainly'}

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nāgabhāryā (Nāga’s wife)
• Vipra (brāhmaṇa interlocutor)
• Sūrya (Sun-god)
• Sūryaratha (Sun’s chariot)
• Nāga husband (implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights steadfastness in assigned duty (dharma) and the ethical value of truthful assurance: even extraordinary beings are bound to periodic service that sustains cosmic order, and one should speak with clarity and certainty when one knows the truth.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Nāga’s wife explains to a brāhmaṇa that her husband is away performing a recurring month-long service—bearing the Sun’s chariot—and she confidently promises his return within seven or eight days.