Shloka 2

Devanagari script

को हि मां मानुष: शक्तो द्रष्टकामो यशस्विनि । संदर्शनरुचिर्वाक्यम ज्ञापूर्व वदिष्यति,यशस्विनि! भला, कौन मनुष्य मुझे देखनेकी इच्छा कर सकता है और यदि दर्शनकी इच्छा करे भी तो कौन इस तरह मुझे आज्ञा देकर बुला सकता है?

Transliteration

ko hi māṁ mānuṣaḥ śakto draṣṭukāmo yaśasvini | sandarśanarucir vākyam ājñāpūrvaṁ vadiṣyati, yaśasvini ||

Translation

நாகன் கூறினான்—புகழ்மிக்கவளே! எந்த மனிதன் என்னைக் காண விரும்பத் துணிவான்? விரும்பினாலும், ஆணையிடும் சொற்களால் என்னை இவ்வாறு அழைக்க யார் இயலும்?

Word by Word

कःwho

हिindeed/for

माम्me

मानुषःa human (man)

शक्तःable/capable

द्रष्टकामःdesirous to see

यशस्विनिO illustrious lady

संदर्शनरुचिःone eager for (my) sight/meeting

वाक्यम्a word/speech

ज्ञापूर्वम्as a command/authoritatively (lit. as an order beforehand)

वदिष्यतिwill speak/say

यशस्विनिO illustrious lady

Speaker

नाग उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nāga (serpent being)

yaśasvinī (addressed woman; unnamed in this verse)

mānuṣa (human)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights restraint and propriety in addressing those of greater power or different status: desire for knowledge or vision does not justify commanding speech. Ethical communication requires humility and respect rather than entitlement.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Nāga responds to an addressed woman (called “yaśasvinī”), expressing astonishment that any human would wish to see him and, more pointedly, that someone would attempt to summon him with commanding words—implying a breach of decorum or an overreach of human authority.