Bhogavati, City of the Serpents: Matali Chooses Sumukha

Verse 1 (5.103.1)

इयं भोगवती नाम पुरी वासुकिपालिता । यादृशी देवराजस्य पुरी वर्याऽमरावती ॥

iyaṃ bhogavatī nāma purī vāsukipālitā | yādṛśī devarājasya purī varyā'marāvatī

This is the city called Bhogavati, guarded by Vasuki; it is like Amaravati, the finest of cities, the city of the king of the gods.

Verse 2 (5.103.2)

एष शेषः स्थितो नागो येनेयं धार्यते सदा । तपसा लोकमुख्येन प्रभावसहिता मही ॥

eṣa śeṣaḥ sthito nāgo yeneyaṃ dhāryate sadā | tapasā lokamukhyena prabhāvasahitā mahī

Here stands the serpent Shesha, by whom, through austerity foremost in the world, this mighty earth is forever upheld.

Verse 3 (5.103.3)

श्वेताचलनिभाकारो दिव्याभरणभूषितः । सहस्रं धारयन्मूर्ध्नां ज्वालाजिह्वो महाबलः ॥

śvetācalanibhākāro divyābharaṇabhūṣitaḥ | sahasraṃ dhārayanmūrdhnāṃ jvālājihvo mahābalaḥ

His form is like a white mountain and he is decked with heavenly ornaments; he bears a thousand heads, his tongues are flames, and his strength is great.

Verse 4 (5.103.4)

इह नानाविधाकारा नानाविधविभूषणाः । सुरसायाः सुता नागा निवसन्ति गतव्यथाः ॥

iha nānāvidhākārā nānāvidhavibhūṣaṇāḥ | surasāyāḥ sutā nāgā nivasanti gatavyathāḥ

Here, free from all distress, live the Nagas, sons of Surasa, of many forms and many kinds of ornament,

Verse 5 (5.103.5)

मणिस्वस्तिकचक्राङ्काः कमण्डलुकलक्षणाः । सहस्रसंख्या बलिनः सर्वे रौद्राः स्वभावतः ॥

maṇisvastikacakrāṅkāḥ kamaṇḍalukalakṣaṇāḥ | sahasrasaṃkhyā balinaḥ sarve raudrāḥ svabhāvataḥ

marked with jewels, svastikas and wheels, and bearing the sign of the water-pot; they number in thousands, they are mighty, and all are fierce by nature.

Note on the text: Corrected बलिन → बलिनः (misprint in Wikisource; dropped visarga of the nominative plural; critical edition balinaḥ).

Verse 6 (5.103.6)

सहस्रशिरसः केचित्केचित्पञ्चशताननाः । शतशीर्षास्तथा केचित्केचित्त्रिशिरसोऽपि च ॥

sahasraśirasaḥ kecitkecitpañcaśatānanāḥ | śataśīrṣāstathā kecitkecittriśiraso'pi ca

Some have a thousand heads, some five hundred faces; some have a hundred heads, and some three.

Note on the text: Corrected केचित्रिशिरसो → केचित्त्रिशिरसो (misprint in Wikisource; dropped त of केचित् before त्रिशिरसः; critical edition ke cit triśiraso).

Verse 7 (5.103.7)

द्विपञ्चशिरसः केचित्केचित्सप्तमुखास्तथा । महाभोगा महाकायाः पर्वताभोगभोगिनः ॥

dvipañcaśirasaḥ kecitkecitsaptamukhāstathā | mahābhogā mahākāyāḥ parvatābhogabhoginaḥ

Some have ten heads and some seven mouths; they have great hoods and huge bodies, with coils as vast as mountains.

Note on the text: Corrected सप्तसुखा- → सप्तमुखा- (misprint in Wikisource; स for म; critical edition saptamukhās).

Verse 8 (5.103.8)

बहूनीह सहस्राणि प्रयुतान्यर्बुदानि च । नागानामेकवंशानां यथाश्रेष्ठं तु मे शृणु ॥

bahūnīha sahasrāṇi prayutānyarbudāni ca | nāgānāmekavaṃśānāṃ yathāśreṣṭhaṃ tu me śṛṇu

There are many thousands of them here, millions and hundreds of millions of Nagas of one lineage; hear from me the foremost of them in order.

Note on the text: Corrected श्रुणु → शृणु (misprint in Wikisource; श्रु for शृ; critical edition śṛṇu).

Verse 9 (5.103.9)

वासुकिस्तक्षकश्चैव कर्कोटकधनञ्जयौ । कालीयो नहुषश्चैव कम्बलाश्वतरावुभौ ॥

vāsukistakṣakaścaiva karkoṭakadhanañjayau | kālīyo nahuṣaścaiva kambalāśvatarāvubhau

Vasuki, Takshaka, Karkotaka and Dhananjaya, Kaliya, Nahusha, and the two, Kambala and Ashvatara;

Verse 10 (5.103.10)

बाह्यकुण्डो मणिर्नागस्तथैवापूरणः खगः । वामनश्चैलपत्रश्च कुकुरः कुकुणस्तथा ॥

bāhyakuṇḍo maṇirnāgastathaivāpūraṇaḥ khagaḥ | vāmanaścailapatraśca kukuraḥ kukuṇastathā

Bahyakunda, Mani the Naga, Apurana, Khaga, Vamana, Ailapatra, Kukura and Kukuna;

Verse 11 (5.103.11)

आर्यको नन्दकश्चैव तथा कलशपोतकौ । कैलासकः पिञ्जरको नागश्चैरावतस्तथा ॥

āryako nandakaścaiva tathā kalaśapotakau | kailāsakaḥ piñjarako nāgaścairāvatastathā

Aryaka, Nandaka, Kalasha and Potaka, Kailasaka, Pinjaraka, and the Naga Airavata;

Verse 12 (5.103.12)

सुमनोमुखो दधिमुखः शङ्खो नन्दोपनन्दकौ । आप्तः कोटरकश्चैव शिखी निष्ठूरिकस्तथा ॥

sumanomukho dadhimukhaḥ śaṅkho nandopanandakau | āptaḥ koṭarakaścaiva śikhī niṣṭhūrikastathā

Sumanomukha, Dadhimukha, Shankha, Nanda and Upanandaka, Apta, Kotaraka, Shikhin and Nishthurika;

Verse 13 (5.103.13)

तित्तिरिर्हस्तिभद्रश्च कुमुदो माल्यपिण्डकः । द्वौ पद्मौ पुण्डरीकश्च पुष्पो मुद्गरपर्णकः ॥

tittirirhastibhadraśca kumudo mālyapiṇḍakaḥ | dvau padmau puṇḍarīkaśca puṣpo mudgaraparṇakaḥ

Tittiri, Hastibhadra, Kumuda, Malyapindaka, the two Padmas, Pundarika, Pushpa and Mudgaraparnaka;

Verse 14 (5.103.14)

करवीरः पीठरकः संवृत्तो वृत्त एव च । पिण्डारो बिल्वपत्रश्च मूषिकादः शिरीषकः ॥

karavīraḥ pīṭharakaḥ saṃvṛtto vṛtta eva ca | piṇḍāro bilvapatraśca mūṣikādaḥ śirīṣakaḥ

Karavira, Pitharaka, Samvritta and Vritta, Pindara, Bilvapatra, Mushikada and Shirishaka;

Verse 15 (5.103.15)

दिलीपः शङ्खशीर्षश्च ज्योतिष्कोऽथापराजितः । कौरव्यो धृतराष्ट्रश्च कुहुरः कृशकस्तथा ॥

dilīpaḥ śaṅkhaśīrṣaśca jyotiṣko'thāparājitaḥ | kauravyo dhṛtarāṣṭraśca kuhuraḥ kṛśakastathā

Dilipa, Shankhashirsha, Jyotishka, Aparajita, Kauravya, Dhritarashtra, Kuhura and Krishaka;

Verse 16 (5.103.16)

विरजा धारणश्चैव सुबाहुर्मुखरो जयः । बधिरान्धौ विशुण्डिश्च विरसः सुरसस्तथा ॥

virajā dhāraṇaścaiva subāhurmukharo jayaḥ | badhirāndhau viśuṇḍiśca virasaḥ surasastathā

Viraja, Dharana, Subahu, Mukhara, Jaya, Badhira and Andha, Vishundi, Virasa and Surasa.

Verse 17 (5.103.17)

एते चान्ये च बहवः कश्यपस्यात्मजाः स्मृताः । मातले पश्य यद्यत्र कश्चित्ते रोचते वरः ॥

ete cānye ca bahavaḥ kaśyapasyātmajāḥ smṛtāḥ | mātale paśya yadyatra kaścitte rocate varaḥ

These and many others are known as the sons of Kashyapa. Look, Matali, and see whether any bridegroom here pleases you.

Verse 18 (5.103.18)

मातलिस्त्वेकमव्यग्रः सततं संनिरीक्ष्य वै । पप्रच्छ नारदं तत्र प्रीतिमानिव चाभवत् ॥

mātalistvekamavyagraḥ satataṃ saṃnirīkṣya vai | papraccha nāradaṃ tatra prītimāniva cābhavat

Matali gazed long and intently at one of them, and seemed delighted; then he questioned Narada there.

Verse 19 (5.103.19)

स्थितो य एष पुरतः कौरव्यस्यार्यकस्य तु । द्युतिमान्दर्शनीयश्च कस्यैष कुलनन्दनः ॥

sthito ya eṣa purataḥ kauravyasyāryakasya tu | dyutimāndarśanīyaśca kasyaiṣa kulanandanaḥ

This one standing in front of Kauravya and Aryaka, radiant and handsome — of whose family is he the joy?

Verse 20 (5.103.20)

कः पिता जननी चास्य कतमस्यैष भोगिनः । वंशस्य कस्यैष महान्केतुभूत इव स्थितः ॥

kaḥ pitā jananī cāsya katamasyaiṣa bhoginaḥ | vaṃśasya kasyaiṣa mahānketubhūta iva sthitaḥ

Who are his father and mother? Which serpent's son is he? Of what lineage is he, standing out like its banner?

Verse 21 (5.103.21)

प्रणिधानेन धैर्येण रूपेण वयसा च मे । मनः प्रविष्टो देवर्षे गुणकेश्याः पतिर्वरः ॥

praṇidhānena dhairyeṇa rūpeṇa vayasā ca me | manaḥ praviṣṭo devarṣe guṇakeśyāḥ patirvaraḥ

By his attentiveness, his composure, his beauty and his youth he has won my heart, divine seer. He would make a fine husband for Gunakeshi.

Verse 22 (5.103.22)

मातलिं प्रीतमनसं दृष्ट्वा सुमुखदर्शनात् । निवेदयामास तदा माहात्म्यं जन्म कर्म च ॥

mātaliṃ prītamanasaṃ dṛṣṭvā sumukhadarśanāt | nivedayāmāsa tadā māhātmyaṃ janma karma ca

Seeing Matali so pleased at the sight of Sumukha, Narada then told him of the young serpent's greatness, his birth and his deeds.

Verse 23 (5.103.23)

ऐरावतकुले जातः सुमुखो नाम नागराट् । आर्यकस्य मतः पौत्रो दौहित्रो वामनस्य च ॥

airāvatakule jātaḥ sumukho nāma nāgarāṭ | āryakasya mataḥ pautro dauhitro vāmanasya ca

Born in the line of Airavata, this is the Naga prince named Sumukha. He is known as the grandson of Aryaka and the daughter's son of Vamana.

Verse 24 (5.103.24)

एतस्य हि पिता नागश्चिकुरो नाम मातले । नचिराद्वैनतेयेन पञ्चत्वमुपपादितः ॥

etasya hi pitā nāgaścikuro nāma mātale | nacirādvainateyena pañcatvamupapāditaḥ

His father, Matali, was the Naga named Chikura, whom Vinata's son put to death not long ago.

Note on the text: Corrected वैतनेयेन → वैनतेयेन (misprint in Wikisource; transposed aksharas; critical edition vainateyena).

Verse 25 (5.103.25)

ततोऽब्रवीत्प्रीतमना मातलिर्नारदं वचः । एष मे रुचितस्तात जामाता भुजगोत्तमः ॥

tato'bravītprītamanā mātalirnāradaṃ vacaḥ | eṣa me rucitastāta jāmātā bhujagottamaḥ

Then Matali, delighted, said to Narada: "This best of serpents pleases me, dear sir, as a son-in-law.

Note on the text: Speaker set to Kanva: the verse is narration introducing Matali's words (Wikisource prints no heading, nor does the critical edition); the input carried नारद over.

Verse 26 (5.103.26)

क्रियतामत्र यत्नो वै प्रीतिमानस्म्यनेन वै । अस्मै नागाय वै दातुं प्रियां दुहितरं मुने ॥

kriyatāmatra yatno vai prītimānasmyanena vai | asmai nāgāya vai dātuṃ priyāṃ duhitaraṃ mune

"Let an effort be made in this, for I am pleased with him — to give my beloved daughter to this Naga, O sage."

Note on the text: Speaker set to Matali: the verse is wholly his request, begun in the second line of verse 25, with no printed heading in Wikisource (nor in the critical edition); the input carried नारद over.