Shloka 2

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच हिमवत्पृष्ठज: कश्चिच्छाल्मलि: परिवारवान्‌ । बृहन्मूलो बृहच्छाय: स त्वां वायोडवमन्यते,नारदजीने कहा--वायुदेव! हिमालयके पृष्ठभागपर एक सेमलका वृक्ष है, जो बहुत बड़े परिवारके साथ है। उसकी छाया विशाल और घनी है और जड़ें बहुत दूरतक फैली हैं। वह तुम्हारा अपमान करता है

Transliteration

nārada uvāca himavatpṛṣṭhajaḥ kaścit chālmaliḥ parivāravān | bṛhanmūlo bṛhacchāyaḥ sa tvāṁ vāyodavamanyate ||

Translation

那罗陀说道：“在喜马拉雅山的背坡上，立着一株娑罗摩梨树（śālmali，木棉树），周围簇拥着众多随从。它的根系远远伸展，树荫广大而浓密。那棵树啊，风神（伐由）啊，竟轻蔑你并辱骂你。”

Word by Word

नारदःNarada

उवाचsaid

हिमवत्of Himavat (the Himalaya)

पृष्ठजःborn on the back/slope

कश्चित्a certain

शाल्मलिःsilk-cotton tree (śālmali)

परिवारवान्having a retinue/family (surrounded by many)

बृहन्मूलःhaving great roots

बृहच्छायःhaving a great (broad) shade

सःhe/that (tree)

त्वाम्you

वायोO Vayu (Wind-god)

अवमन्यतेdisrespects/insults

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Vāyu (Wind-god)

Himavat (Himalaya)

Śālmali tree

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 sets up an ethical lesson about arrogance born of size, status, or support: even one who seems powerful (with vast roots, shade, and a ‘retinue’) can fall into contempt for others, and such disrespect invites correction and humility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Narada addresses Vāyu and points out a particular śālmali tree on the Himalayan slope—grand, well-supported, and expansive—which is said to be insulting the Wind-god. This functions as the provocation that leads into the ensuing episode and its moral resolution.