103 - BHAGAVAT-YANA PARVA (Contd)

Narada said: -

1. This city is named Bhogavati, ruled by Vasuki, which is similar to the city of the king of the gods - Amaravati.

2. This one staying here is Sesha - the Naga, by whom is ever upheld the earth with all her greatness by force of his austerities which is the best m this world.

3. His body is of the size of the Shwetachala or white mountain, and decked with diverse sorts of ornaments and holding a thousand heads with tongues like blazing fire. His strength and prowess are great.

4. Here live, passed the reach of pain, the sons of Surasa, - Nagas, of many species and sizes and with diverse sorts of ornaments.

5. And having the mark of gem, Swastika, circles and Kamandaties -all of them, each with the strength of a thousand, are by nature fierce.

6. Some of them are thousand headed, some have five hundred faces, some, again, have a hundred heads and some three.

7. Some have twice five heads, some have seven faces, and all of them are addicted to great pleasures and have huge bodies resembling the mountains of this earth.

8. There are many thousands and millions and hundreds of millions of unaccountable Nagas, listen to me as I say the few names of the foremost among them of a single race.

9. They are Vasuki, Takshaka, Karkotaka, Dhananjaya, Kalia, and the two, Kamvala and Ashwatara.

10. Bahyakunda, Mani, Apurana, Khaga, Vamana, Elapatra, Kukura, Kukuna.

11. Aryaka, Nandaka, Potaka, Kaila- saka, Pinjaraka, and the Naga Airavata.

12. Sumanmukha, Dadhimukha, Shankha, Nanda, Upanandaka, Apta, Kotaraka, Shikhi, and Nisthuraka.

13. Tittiri, Hastibhadra Kumuda, Malyapindaka, the two Padmas, Pundarika, Pushpa, Mudgarapanaka.

14. Karavira, Pitharaka, Sambhritta, Vritta, Pludara, Vihlapatra, Mushikada. Sirishaka.

15. Dilipa, Shankliashirsha, Jyotrshka, Aparajita, Kauravya, Dhritarashtra, Kuhara, Krishaka.

16. Virajas. Duharana, Suvahu, Mukhara, Jaya, Vadhira, Andha, Vishundi, Virasa and Surasa.

17. These and many others are known to be the sons of Kashyapa, O Matali; see if in this region any bridegroom is to your liking.

Kanwa said: -

18. While Narada was speaking, Matali had been gazing steadfastly; and he asked Narada being highly pleased.

19. “This one standing before Arjyaka of the Kauravya race - this effulgent being worthy to look at - whose race does he delight?

20. Who is his father, and who is his mother and what race does he come from? Of what race does he stand like the flagstaff?

21. By his intelligence, patience, beauty and age is my heart attracted, O divine Rishi. He will make the best husband for Gunakeshi.

Kanwa said: -

22. Seeing Matali, of a cheerful mind owing to his seeing Sumukha, Narada informed him the greatness, the birth and the works of that youth.

23. “Born in the race of Airavata, he is the chief of the Nagas, named Sumukha, the grandson of Arjyaka, and on his mother’s side he is the grandson of Vamana.

24. His father is the Naga, named Chitkura, O Matali and quite recently be was killed by the son of Vinata.”

25. Then did Matali, being light of heart, speak to Narada these words: ‘O Sire, this best of the Naga race is my selected son-in-law.

26. Accomplish this; take some pains, for I am pleased with him - O Muni, take some pains to bestow on this Naga my beloved daughter.”

Thus ends the one hundred and third chapter, the search of a bridegroom by Matali, in the Bhagavat-Yana of the Udyoga Parva.