Shloka 13

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मण उवाच आगतोऊहं महाभाग तव दर्शनलालस: । कंचिदर्थमनर्थज्ञ: प्र््धकामो भुजड्रम

Transliteration

brāhmaṇa uvāca: āgato ’haṃ mahābhāga tava darśana-lālasaḥ | kañcid arthaṃ anartha-jñaḥ pṛthak-kāmo bhujaṅgama ||

Translation

Bà-la-môn nói: “Hỡi bậc cao quý, hỡi Nāga vương! Ta đến đây vì khát khao được diện kiến ngài. Ta muốn hỏi ngài về một điều—một điều mà ta chưa hiểu thấu ý nghĩa chân thật—hỡi chúa tể loài rắn.”

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणः: the Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular

• आगतः: having come / come
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• महाभाग: O greatly fortunate one
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाभाग
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तव: of you / your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

• दर्शन-लालसः: eager for (your) sight
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दर्शनलालस
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कञ्चित्: some
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अर्थम्: matter / question
• अर्थम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अनर्थ-ज्ञः: not knowing (that) matter / ignorant of it
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनर्थज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पृच्छामि: I ask
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ्
• Form: Present (Laṭ), First, Singular

• कामः: desire
• Type: Noun
• Root: काम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भुजङ्गम: O serpent (king)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भुजङ्गम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Brāhmaṇa (the speaker)
• Bhujaṅgama / Nāgarāja (serpent-lord addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse models ethical inquiry: the seeker admits ignorance (anartha-jñaḥ) and approaches a worthy being with humility and eagerness to learn, implying that dharma is clarified through sincere questioning and proper guidance.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brahmin approaches a serpent-lord (nāgarāja), stating he has come out of longing to see him and wishes to ask about a matter whose true meaning he does not yet understand.