Shloka 8

Nāga-prādhānya-nāma-kathana

Principal Nāga Names Enumerated

Devanagari script

अथापश्यदृषीन्‌ हस्वानडुष्ठोदरवर्ष्मण: । पलाशवर्तिकामेकां वहत: संहतान्‌ पथि,उन्होंने मार्गमें बहुत-से ऐसे ऋषियोंको देखा जो कदमें बहुत ही छोटे थे। उनका सारा शरीर अँगूठेके मध्यभागके बराबर था। वे सब मिलकर पलाशकी एक बाती (छोटी-सी टहनी) लिये आ रहे थे

Transliteration

atha apaśyad ṛṣīn hrasvān aṇuṣṭhodara-varṣmaṇaḥ | palāśa-vartikām ekāṁ vahataḥ saṁhatān pathi ||

Translation

Rồi trên đường, ngài trông thấy một nhóm ẩn sĩ vóc dáng cực kỳ nhỏ bé—thân hình mỗi vị chỉ bằng đốt giữa của ngón tay cái—cùng nhau tiến bước, mang theo một cành palāśa nhỏ như bấc đèn.

Word by Word

अथthen

अपश्यत्saw

ऋषीन्sages

ह्रस्वान्short (in stature)

अङ्गुष्ठ-उदर-वर्ष्मणःwhose body was like the middle of a thumb (thumb-bellied-bodied)

पलाश-वर्तिकाम्a palāśa-wick / small palāśa twig

एकाम्one

वहतःcarrying

संहतान्assembled, together

पथिon the path

Speaker

शौनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śaunaka

Ṛ

ṛṣis (sages)

palāśa (tree)

palāśa-vartikā (a wick-like twig)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights that spiritual potency and dharmic purpose are independent of outward appearance; even beings of minute form can embody great tapas and act effectively, especially through unity.

What is happening in the narrative?

The speaker reports a striking sight: many extremely small sages, each thumb-joint-sized, traveling together along the road while carrying a single palāśa twig used like a wick.