SanskritIASTMeaning
प्रीतः अस्मि ते अनेन स्तोत्रेणprītaḥ asmi te anena stotreṇa"I am pleased with you for this hymn of praise"
किं ते प्रियं करवाणिkiṃ te priyaṃ karavāṇi"What may I do that would please you?"
नागाः मे वशम् ईयुःnāgāḥ me vaśam īyuḥ"Let the serpents come under my power"
एतम् अश्वम् अपाने धमस्वetam aśvam apāne dhamasva"Blow into this horse from behind (through its rear passage)"
अश्वात् धम्यमानात् सर्व-स्रोतोभ्यः सधूमाः अर्चिषः अग्नेः निष्पेतुःaśvāt dhamyamānāt sarva-srotobhyaḥ sadhūmāḥ arciṣaḥ agneḥ niṣpetuḥfrom the horse into which he blew, smoky tongues of fire poured out from every orifice
नाग-लोकः धूपितःnāga-lokaḥ dhūpitaḥthe world of serpents was wrapped in smoke
तक्षकः अग्नि-तेजः-भय-विषण्णः ते कुण्डले गृहीत्वा निष्क्रम्यtakṣakaḥ agni-tejaḥ-bhaya-viṣaṇṇaḥ te kuṇḍale gṛhītvā niṣkramyaTakshaka, in terror of the fire's heat, seized the earrings and ran out
एते कुण्डले प्रतिगृह्णातु भवान्ete kuṇḍale pratigṛhṇātu bhavān"Accept, sir, these earrings"
कुण्डले प्रतिगृह्य अचिन्तयत्kuṇḍale pratigṛhya acintayathaving accepted the earrings, he thought
अद्य तत् पुण्यकम् उपाध्यायिन्याः दूरं च अहम् अभ्यागतःadya tat puṇyakam upādhyāyinyāḥ dūraṃ ca aham abhyāgataḥ"Today is that sacred rite of the teacher's wife, and I have gone so far away"
कथं नु खलु संभावयेयम्kathaṃ nu khalu saṃbhāvayeyam"How indeed shall I make it in time?"
ततःtataḥbase form «tataḥ», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
सsabase form «sa», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
एनंenaṃbase form «enaṃ», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
पुरुषःpuruṣaḥbase form «puruṣaḥ», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
प्राहprāhabase form «prāha», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
प्रीतोprītobase form «prīto», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
ऽस्मि'smibase form «'smi», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
ऽहम्'hambase form «'ham», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
करवाणीतिkaravāṇītibase form «karavāṇīti», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
सsabase form «sa», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
तम्tambase form «tam», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
नागाnāgābase form «nāgā», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
ईयुर्īyurbase form «īyur», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
इतिitibase form «iti», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
सsabase form «sa», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
एनंenaṃbase form «enaṃ», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
पुरुषःpuruṣaḥbase form «puruṣaḥ», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
पुनर्punarbase form «punar», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
धमस्वेतिdhamasvetibase form «dhamasveti», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
सsabase form «sa», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
तम्tambase form «tam», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
अश्वम्aśvambase form «aśvam», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
अपानेapānebase form «apāne», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
ऽधमत्'dhamatbase form «'dhamat», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
अथाश्वाद्athāśvādbase form «athāśvād», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
सर्वस्रोतोभ्यःsarvasrotobhyaḥbase form «sarvasrotobhyaḥ», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
सधूमाsadhūmābase form «sadhūmā», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
अर्चिषोarciṣobase form «arciṣo», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
ऽग्नेर्'gnerbase form «'gner», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
ताभिर्tābhirbase form «tābhir», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
नागलोकोnāgalokobase form «nāgaloko», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
अथathabase form «atha», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
ससंभ्रमस्sasaṃbhramasbase form «sasaṃbhramas», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
तक्षकोtakṣakobase form «takṣako», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
ऽग्नितेजोभयविषण्णस्'gnitejobhayaviṣaṇṇasbase form «'gnitejobhayaviṣaṇṇas», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
सहसाsahasābase form «sahasā», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
स्वभवनान्svabhavanānbase form «svabhavanān», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
निष्क्रम्योत्तङ्कम्niṣkramyottaṅkambase form «niṣkramyottaṅkam», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
इतिitibase form «iti», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
सsabase form «sa», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
तेtebase form «te», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
प्रतिजग्राहोत्तङ्कःpratijagrāhottaṅkaḥbase form «pratijagrāhottaṅkaḥ», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
प्रतिगृह्याचिन्तयत्pratigṛhyācintayatbase form «pratigṛhyācintayat», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
चाहम्cāhambase form «cāham», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
इतिitibase form «iti», added for complete coverage of the word-by-word block
The denouement reveals the highest law of spiritual life: by his own strength the devotee reaches a limit, but the decisive help descends from above. Uttanka praised the serpents — in vain; only when he had glorified the higher god (Indra, and behind him the Lord Himself) and won his favor did the impossible come to pass. The comely man is Indra, the longtime friend of Uttanka's guru, who had invisibly watched over him (he was also the man on the bull who had given him nectar). The horse belching fire is Agni, and the whole deliverance is the fruit of divine grace answering devotion. Thus scripture affirms: the devotee's effort is necessary, but the fruit is granted by grace from above. Takshaka, the proud thief, is humbled not by Uttanka's strength but by the divine fire. And note Uttanka's humility: having won the earrings, he does not exult but worries only about how to fulfill the guru's will in time — for a true servant even victory is not an end in itself but only a means of service to the teacher.