Shloka 24

Adhyāya 12: Devas’ Petition to Nahūṣa; Bṛhaspati on Śaraṇāgata-Dharma; Indrāṇī’s Strategic Delay

Devanagari script

शल्य उवाच अथ देवा: सगन्धर्वा गुरुमाहुरिदं वच: । कथं सुनीतं नु भवेन्मन्त्रयस्व बृहस्पते,शल्य कहते हैं--राजन! तब देवताओं तथा गन्धवोने गुरुसे इस प्रकार कहा --“बृहस्पते! आप ही सलाह दीजिये कि किस उपायका अवलम्बन करनेसे शुभ परिणाम होगा?”

Transliteration

śalya uvāca atha devāḥ sagandharvā gurum āhur idaṃ vacaḥ | kathaṃ sunītaṃ nu bhaven mantray asva bṛhaspate ||

Translation

Shalya sprach: Da wandten sich die Götter zusammen mit den Gandharvas mit folgenden Worten an ihren Lehrer: „O Bṛhaspati, berate uns — welcher Handlungsweg wird zu einem wohlgeleiteten und glückverheißenden Ausgang führen?“

Word by Word

शल्यःShalya

उवाचsaid

अथthen

देवाःthe gods

सगन्धर्वाःtogether with the Gandharvas

गुरुम्the teacher (preceptor)

आहुःsaid

इदम्this

वचःspeech; words

कथम्how

सुनीतम्well-guided; well-conducted; well-advised

नुindeed; now (emphatic particle)

भवेत्might be; would become

मन्त्रयस्वadvise; deliberate; counsel

बृहस्पतेO Brihaspati

Speaker

शल्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śalya

Devas

Gandharvas

Bṛhaspati

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Wise action should be grounded in good policy (su-nīti) and careful counsel; seeking guidance from a qualified teacher is presented as an ethical means to secure an auspicious outcome.

What is happening in the narrative?

Shalya narrates that the gods and Gandharvas approach their preceptor Bṛhaspati and ask him to advise them on what course of action will lead to a well-directed and favorable result.