Shloka 9

Adhyaya 20 — Ritadhvaja’s Companionship with the Naga Princes and the Origin of the Horse Kuvalaya

Sanskrit

ब्रह्मरूपप्रतिच्छन्नौ तरुणौ प्रियदर्शनौ ।

तौ तैर्नृपसुतैः सार्धं तथैवान्यैर्द्विजन्मभिः ॥

Transliteration

brahmarūpapraticchannau taruṇau priyadarśanau | tau tair nṛpasutaiḥ sārdhaṃ tathaivānyair dvijanma-bhiḥ ||

Translation

அந்த இரு அழகிய இளைஞர்கள் பிராமணர் வேடத்தில் மறைந்து, அந்த அரசகுமாரர்களுடனும் மற்ற இருபிறப்பினர் இளைஞர்களுடனும் சேர்ந்து தங்கினர்.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मरूपप्रतिच्छन्नौ: disguised in Brahmin form
• ब्रह्मरूपप्रतिच्छन्नौ: कर्ता-विशेषण (adjectival to subject)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मरूप + प्रति-छद् (धातु)
• Form: कृदन्त—क्त (PPP) ‘प्रतिच्छन्न’; पुंलिङ्ग प्रथमा द्विवचन; उपपद-तत्पुरुषः (ब्रह्मरूपेण प्रतिच्छन्नौ = disguised with Brahmin-form)

• तरुणौ: two young men
• तरुणौ: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तरुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, द्विवचन

• प्रियदर्शनौ: pleasant-looking
• प्रियदर्शनौ: कर्ता-विशेषण
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रियदर्शन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा, द्विवचन; समासः—कर्मधारयः (प्रियं दर्शनं यस्य)

• तौ: those two
• तौ: कर्ता (कर्ता/Subject)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग; प्रथमा/द्वितीया, द्विवचन (here: प्रथमा—‘those two’)

• तैः: with them
• तैः: सह/सहकारक (instrumental of association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: सर्वनाम; पुंलिङ्ग/नपुंसक; तृतीया (3rd/तृतीया), बहुवचन

• नृपसुतैः: with the king’s sons
• नृपसुतैः: सह/सहकारक (association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपसुत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन; समासः—तत्पुरुषः (नृपस्य सुताः)

• सार्धम्: together with
• सार्धम्: सह (association marker)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सार्धम् (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; सहार्थक (with/along with)

• तथा: thus
• तथा: सम्बन्ध/क्रियाविशेषण
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; प्रकारवाचक (manner: 'thus')

• एव: indeed/just
• एव: सम्बन्ध/निपात
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)
• Form: अव्यय; अवधारण (emphasis)

• अन्यैः: with other
• अन्यैः: सह/सहकारक
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन; विशेषणम् (qualifies dvijanmabhiḥ)

• द्विजन्मभिः: with Brahmins (twice-born)
• द्विजन्मभिः: सह/सहकारक (association)
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजन्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग; तृतीया, बहुवचन; बहुव्रीहिः (द्वि जन्म यस्य = twice-born, i.e., Brahmins)

Speakers

• Narrator

Verse Rasa

{ "primaryRasa": "adbhuta", "secondaryRasa": "shanta", "rasaIntensity": 0, "emotionalArcPosition": "", "moodDescriptors": [] }

Key Themes

• Disguise
• Nāga-human interaction
• Social passing (Brahmin form)

FAQs

What is the philosophical or ethical takeaway?

Form (rūpa) can conceal essence; Purāṇic narratives repeatedly warn against judging solely by external marks, while also noting how social roles can be assumed for specific purposes.

How does this fit the Pancalakshana (5 characteristics)?

Carita/ākhyāna: a plot mechanism (disguise) introducing new relationships and future causality.

What is the esoteric significance?

Brahmin-disguise over Nāga-nature suggests the veiling of instinctual/serpentine energy under a mantle of intellect—an image of sublimation or strategic concealment.