Shloka 4

Jaratkāru’s Marital Compact and Departure (जरत्कारु–जरत्कारुणी संवादः)

Devanagari script

सौतिर्वाच एवमुक्त: स नागेन्द्र: काश्यपेन महात्मना । अदशद्‌ वृक्षमभ्येत्य न्यग्रोध॑ं पन्नगोत्तम:

Transliteration

Sautir uvāca—evam uktaḥ sa nāgendraḥ Kāśyapena mahātmanā | adaśad vṛkṣam abhyetya nyagrodhaṃ pannagottamaḥ ||

Translation

叙帝（娑提）说道：大心的迦叶波如此言毕，塔克沙迦——那伽之主、群蛇之最——便走近那株榕树，咬了上去。

Word by Word

• सौतिः: Sauti (Ugraśravas), the narrator
• सौतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सौति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• एवम्: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• उक्तः: having been addressed / spoken to
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: क्त, Passive (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नागेन्द्रः: lord of serpents
• नागेन्द्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नागेन्द्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• काश्यपेन: by Kaśyapa
• काश्यपेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: काश्यप
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• महात्मना: by the great-souled (one)
• महात्मना: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अदशत्: bit / stung
• Type: Verb
• Root: दंश्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वृक्षम्: the tree
• वृक्षम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अभ्येत्य: having approached
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-इ
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Active, true

• न्यग्रोधम्: the banyan (tree)
• न्यग्रोधम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: न्यग्रोध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पन्नगोत्तमः: the best of serpents
• पन्नगोत्तमः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पन्नगोत्तम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

काश्यप उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Sauti (Ugraśravas)
• Kāśyapa
• Takṣaka
• nyagrodha (banyan tree)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse hints at the ethical idea that displays of power rooted in anger or arrogance tend toward harm and invite consequences; destructive capability is not the same as righteousness (dharma).

What is happening in the narrative?

After Kāśyapa speaks, Takṣaka—described as the serpent-king—approaches a banyan tree and bites it, a demonstrative act within the ongoing serpent-related episode narrated by Sauti.