05.101

nārada uvāca॥

Nārada said:

iyaṁ bhōgavatī nāma purī vāsukipālitā। yādr̥śī dēvarājasya purīvaryāmarāvatī ॥5-101-1॥

This city, named Bhogavati, is governed by Vasuki; it is as splendid as Amaravati, the lofty city of the lord of the gods. (5-101-1)

ēṣa śēṣaḥ sthitō nāgō yēnēyaṁ dhāryatē sadā। tapasā lōkamukhyēna prabhāvamahatā mahī ॥5-101-2॥

This is Śeṣa, the serpent who always stands here, by whom the earth is ever supported through the ascetic power and great might of that foremost being. (5-101-2)

śvētōccayanibhākārō nānāvidhavibhūṣaṇaḥ। sahasraṁ dhārayanmūrdhnāṁ jvālājihvō mahābalaḥ ॥5-101-3॥

Shesha is of the appearance of a white mass, adorned with various ornaments, bearing a thousand heads, flame-tongued, and immensely strong. (5-101-3)

iha nānāvidhākārā nānāvidhavibhūṣaṇāḥ। surasāyāḥ sutā nāgā nivasanti gatavyathāḥ ॥5-101-4॥

Here dwell the nāgas, children of Surasā, adorned with diverse forms and various ornaments, free from distress. (5-101-4)

maṇisvastikacakrāṅkāḥ kamaṇḍalukalakṣaṇāḥ। sahasrasaṅkhyā balinaḥ sarvē raudrāḥ svabhāvataḥ ॥5-101-5॥

All of them are naturally fierce and powerful, marked with jewels, svastikas, and wheels, bearing the symbol of a waterpot, and numbering in the thousands. (5-101-5)

sahasraśirasaḥ kēcitkēcitpañcaśatānanāḥ। śataśīrṣāstathā kēcitkēcittriśirasō’pi ca ॥5-101-6॥

Some of them had a thousand heads, some had five hundred faces, others had a hundred heads, and some even had three heads. (5-101-6)

dvipañcaśirasaḥ kēcitkēcitsaptamukhāstathā। mahābhōgā mahākāyāḥ parvatābhōgabhōginaḥ ॥5-101-7॥

Some had two or five heads, some had seven faces; they had immense coils and massive bodies, these serpents whose forms resembled mountains. (5-101-7)

bahūnīha sahasrāṇi prayutānyarbudāni ca। nāgānāmēkavaṁśānāṁ yathāśrēṣṭhāṁstu mē śr̥ṇu ॥5-101-8॥

Here there are many thousands, tens of millions, even hundreds of millions of nāgas of a single lineage; but listen from me to the most eminent among them. (5-101-8)

vāsukistakṣakaścaiva karkōṭakadhanañjayau। kālīyō nahuṣaścaiva kambalāśvatarāvubhau ॥5-101-9॥

Vasuki, Takshaka, Karkotaka and Dhananjaya, Kaliya, Nahusha, and both Kambala and Ashvatara. (5-101-9)

bāhyakuṇḍō maṇirnāgastathaivāpūraṇaḥ khagaḥ। vāmanaścailapatraśca kukuraḥ kukuṇastathā ॥5-101-10॥

Bāhyakuṇḍa, Maṇi, Nāga, likewise Āpūraṇa, Khaga, Vāmana, Ilapatra, Kukura, and Kukuṇa as well. (5-101-10)

āryakō nandakaścaiva tathā kalaśapōtakau। kailāsakaḥ piñjarakō nāgaścairāvatastathā ॥5-101-11॥

Āryaka, Nandaka, Kalashapota and Potaka, Kailasaka, Pinjaraka, Nāga, and also Airavata. (5-101-11)

sumanōmukhō dadhimukhaḥ śaṅkhō nandōpanandakau। āptaḥ kōṭanakaścaiva śikhī niṣṭhūrikastathā ॥5-101-12॥

Sumanomukha, Dadhimukha, Shankha, Nanda and Upananda, Apta, Kotanaka, and also Shikhin and Nishthurika. (5-101-12)

tittirirhastibhadraśca kumudō mālyapiṇḍakaḥ। dvau padmau puṇḍarīkaśca puṣpō mudgaraparṇakaḥ ॥5-101-13॥

Tittiri, Hastibhadra, Kumuda, Malyapindaka, the two Padmas, Pundarika, Pushpa, and Mudgaraparnaka. (5-101-13)

karavīraḥ pīṭharakaḥ saṁvr̥ttō vr̥tta ēva ca। piṇḍārō bilvapatraśca mūṣikādaḥ śirīṣakaḥ ॥5-101-14॥

Karavīra, Pīṭharaka, Saṃvṛtta, Vṛtta also, and Piṇḍāra, Bilvapatra, Mūṣikāda, and Śirīṣaka. (5-101-14)

dilīpaḥ śaṅkhaśīrṣaśca jyōtiṣkō’thāparājitaḥ। kauravyō dhr̥tarāṣṭraśca kumāraḥ kuśakastathā ॥5-101-15॥

Dilīpa, Śaṅkhaśīrṣa, Jyotiṣka, then Aparājita, Kauravya, Dhṛtarāṣṭra, Kumāra, and Kuśaka also. (5-101-15)

virajā dhāraṇaścaiva subāhurmukharō jayaḥ। badhirāndhau vikuṇḍaśca virasaḥ surasastathā ॥5-101-16॥

Viraja, Dharana, Subahu, Mukhara, Jaya, Badhira, Andha, Vikunda, Virasa, and Suras as well. (5-101-16)

ētē cānyē ca bahavaḥ kaśyapasyātmajāḥ smr̥tāḥ। mātalē paśya yadyatra kaścittē rōcatē varaḥ ॥5-101-17॥

These and many others are known as the sons of Kaśyapa. Mātali, look—if any one among these pleases you, make your choice. (5-101-17)

kaṇva uvāca॥

Kaṇva said:

mātalistvēkamavyagraḥ satataṁ saṁnirīkṣya vai। papraccha nāradaṁ tatra prītimāniva cābhavat ॥5-101-18॥

But Mātali alone, always watching closely and quite unperturbed, seemed pleased as he asked Nārada there. (5-101-18)

sthitō ya ēṣa purataḥ kauravyasyāryakasya ca। dyutimāndarśanīyaśca kasyaiṣa kulanandanaḥ ॥5-101-19॥

Who is this brilliant, handsome youth standing before Kauravya and Aryaka, the delight of his family? (5-101-19)

kaḥ pitā jananī cāsya katamasyaiṣa bhōginaḥ। vaṁśasya kasyaiṣa mahānkētubhūta iva sthitaḥ ॥5-101-20॥

Who is his father, and who is his mother? Of which fortunate lineage does he belong, and in whose line does this great man stand out like a banner? (5-101-20)

praṇidhānēna dhairyēṇa rūpēṇa vayasā ca mē। manaḥ praviṣṭō dēvarṣē guṇakēśyāḥ patirvaraḥ ॥5-101-21॥

O divine sage, by his attentive observation, composure, appearance, and age, the excellent husband of Guṇakeśī entered my mind. (5-101-21)

mātaliṁ prītimanasaṁ dr̥ṣṭvā sumukhadarśanāt। nivēdayāmāsa tadā māhātmyaṁ janma karma ca ॥5-101-22॥

Seeing Mātali pleased at the sight of Sumukha, he then informed him of Sumukha's greatness, birth, and deeds. (5-101-22)

airāvatakulē jātaḥ sumukhō nāma nāgarāṭ। āryakasya mataḥ pautrō dauhitrō vāmanasya ca ॥5-101-23॥

Sumukha, a serpent king named so, born in the family of Airavata, is regarded as Aryaka’s grandson and as Vāmana’s daughter’s son. (5-101-23)

ētasya hi pitā nāgaścikurō nāma mātalē। nacirādvainatēyēna pañcatvamupapāditaḥ ॥5-101-24॥

O Mātali, his father was the nāga named Cikura, who was soon killed by the son of Vinatā. (5-101-24)

tatō’bravītprītamanā mātalirnāradaṁ vacaḥ। ēṣa mē rucitastāta jāmātā bhujagōttamaḥ ॥5-101-25॥

Then Mātali, his mind delighted, said these words to Nārada: "Dear one, this excellent serpent is pleasing to me as a son-in-law." (5-101-25)

kriyatāmatra yatnō hi prītimānasmyanēna vai। asya nāgapatērdātuṁ priyāṁ duhitaraṁ munē ॥5-101-26॥

Let effort be made here, for I am truly pleased with him, O sage, to give the beloved daughter of the lord of serpents to him. (5-101-26)