Shloka 16
Mātali’s Proposal for Guṇakeśī and Sumukha’s Audience with Indra
विरजा धारणश्चैव सुबाहुर्मुखरो जय: । बधिरान्धौ विशुण्डिश्व विरस: सुरसस्तथा,वासुकि, तक्षक, कर्कोटक, धनंजय, कालिय, नहुष, कम्बल, अश्वतर, बाह्ाुकुण्ड, मणिनाग, आपूरण, खग, वामन, एलपत्र, कुकुर, कुकुण, आर्यक, नन्न्दक, कलश, पोतक, कैलासक, पिंजरक, ऐरावत, सुमनोमुख, दधिमुख, शंख, ननन््द, उपनन्द, आप्त, कोटरक, शिखी, निष्ठूरिक, तित्तिरि, हस्तिभद्र, कुमुद, माल्यपिण्डक, पद्मनामक दो नाग, पुण्डरीक, पुष्प, मुद्गरपर्णक, करवीर, पीठरक, संवृत्त, वृत्त, पिण्डार, बिल्वपत्र, मूषिकाद, शिरीषक, दिलीप, शंखशीर्ष, ज्योतिष्क, अपराजित, कौरव्य, धृतराष्ट्र, कुहुर, कृशक, विरजा, धारण, सुबाहु, मुखर, जय, बधिर, अन्ध, विशुण्डि, विरस तथा सुरस--ये और दूसरे बहुत-से नाग कश्यपके वंशज हैं। मातले! यदि यहाँ कोई वर तुम्हें पसंद हो तो देखो
virajā dhāraṇaś caiva subāhur mukharo jayaḥ | badhirāndhau viśuṇḍiś ca virasaḥ surasas tathā | vāsukiḥ takṣakaḥ karkoṭakaḥ dhanañjayaḥ kāliyo nahuṣaḥ kambalaḥ aśvataraḥ bāhukūṇḍaḥ maṇināgaḥ āpūraṇaḥ khagaḥ vāmanaḥ elapatraḥ kukuraḥ kukuṇaḥ āryakaḥ nandakaḥ kalaśaḥ potakaḥ kailāsakaḥ piñjarakaḥ airāvataḥ sumanomukhaḥ dadhimukhaḥ śaṅkhaḥ nandaḥ upanandaḥ āptaḥ koṭarakaḥ śikhī niṣṭhūriko tittiriḥ hastibhadraḥ kumudaḥ mālyapiṇḍakaḥ padmanāmānau dvau nāgau puṇḍarīkaḥ puṣpaḥ mudgaraparṇakaḥ karavīraḥ pīṭharakaḥ saṃvṛttaḥ vṛttaḥ piṇḍāraḥ bilvapatraḥ mūṣikādaḥ śirīṣakaḥ dilīpaḥ śaṅkhaśīrṣaḥ jyotiṣkaḥ aparājitaḥ kauravyaḥ dhṛtarāṣṭraḥ kuhuraḥ kṛśakaḥ | virajā dhāraṇaḥ subāhuḥ mukharo jayo badhiro 'ndho viśuṇḍiḥ virasaḥ surasaś ca—ete cānye bahavo nāgāḥ kaśyapavaṃśajāḥ | mātale! yadiha kaścid varaḥ tubhyaṃ rocate, paśya |
Nārada said: “Virajā, Dhāraṇa, Subāhu, Mukhara, Jaya; Badhira and Andha; Viśuṇḍi; Virasa and Surasa; and also Vāsuki, Takṣaka, Karkoṭaka, Dhanañjaya, Kāliya, Nahuṣa, Kambala, Aśvatara, Bāhukūṇḍa, Maṇināga, Āpūraṇa, Khaga, Vāmana, Elapatra, Kukura, Kukuṇa, Āryaka, Nandaka, Kalaśa, Potaka, Kailāsaka, Piñjaraka, Airāvata, Sumanomukha, Dadhimukha, Śaṅkha, Nanda, Upananda, Āpta, Koṭaraka, Śikhī, Niṣṭhūrīka, Tittiri, Hastibhadra, Kumuda, Mālyapiṇḍaka, the two serpents named Padma, Puṇḍarīka, Puṣpa, Mudgaraparṇaka, Karavīra, Pīṭharaka, Saṃvṛtta, Vṛtta, Piṇḍāra, Bilvapatra, Mūṣikāda, Śirīṣaka, Dilīpa, Śaṅkhaśīrṣa, Jyotiṣka, Aparājita, Kauravya, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Kuhura, Kṛśaka—these and many other Nāgas are descendants of Kaśyapa. Mātali, if any boon or choice among them pleases you here, look and select.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse functions less as a moral injunction and more as a genealogical catalogue: it situates many Nāgas within the authoritative lineage of Kaśyapa, emphasizing how identity and status in epic narrative are grounded in recognized descent and named tradition.
Nārada enumerates prominent Nāgas—descendants of Kaśyapa—and addresses Mātali, inviting him to look among them and choose a desired ‘vara’ (a preferred selection/boon), indicating a context of selection from a gathered assembly of serpent-beings.