Shloka 12

Devanagari script

वयं हि भवता सर्वे गुणक्रीता विशेषत: । यस्त्वमात्महितं त्यक्त्वा मामेवेहानुरुध्यसे

Transliteration

vayaṃ hi bhavatā sarve guṇakrītā viśeṣataḥ | yas tvam ātmahitaṃ tyaktvā mām evehānurudhyase ||

Translation

นาคกล่าวว่า “แท้จริงพวกเราทั้งหมดถูกท่านชนะใจแล้ว—โดยเฉพาะด้วยคุณธรรมของท่าน เพราะท่านละแม้ประโยชน์ของตนเอง แล้วมุ่งห่วงใยแต่ความผาสุกของข้า ณ ที่นี้”

Word by Word

• वयम्: we
• वयम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Plural

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• भवता: by you
• भवता: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• गुणक्रीताः: bought/won over by (your) virtues
• गुणक्रीताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुणक्रीत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विशेषतः: especially
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेषतः

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• आत्महितम्: one's own welfare
• आत्महितम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्महित
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• त्यक्त्वा: having abandoned
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), —, —

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Accusative, Singular

• एव: only/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• इह: here/in this matter
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• अनुरुध्यसे: you comply/you follow (me)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-रुध्
• Form: Present, Second, Singular, Ātmanepada

Speaker

नाग उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nāga (speaker)
• bhavat (the addressed person)
• mām (the Nāga as the one cared for)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Moral authority arises from guṇa (virtue): when someone sets aside personal advantage (ātmahita) to seek another’s welfare, they ‘win’ hearts more powerfully than by force or bargaining. The verse praises selfless concern as an ethical ideal.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Nāga addresses a benefactor and expresses gratitude, saying that the benefactor has effectively ‘purchased’ the goodwill of all the Nāgas through exemplary conduct—because the benefactor is prioritizing the Nāga’s well-being over their own interests in the present situation.