Shloka 26

नहुषोपाख्यानम्—दीपदान-धूप-बलीकर्म-प्रशंसा

Nahūṣa Episode and the Commendation of Lamp-Gifting and Household Offerings

Devanagari script

भूगुं हि यदि सोडद्रक्ष्यन्नहुष: पृथिवीपते

Transliteration

bhṛguṁ hi yadi soḍad rakṣyann ahuṣaḥ pṛthivīpate

Translation

Bhishma said: “O lord of the earth, if King Nahusha, while protecting his people, could endure even Bhṛgu’s wrath (or curse), then…” (Bhishma continues, invoking Bhṛgu and Nahusha to frame a moral point: a ruler’s duty of protection may demand steadfast endurance of hardship and even the consequences of confronting powerful sages, when undertaken for righteous governance.)

Word by Word

• भृगुं: Bhṛgu (the sage)
• भृगुं: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृगु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उद्रक्ष्यत्: would look up / would behold
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्-√दृश्
• Form: Conditional (lṛṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• नहुषः: Nahusha
• नहुषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नहुष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पृथिवीपते: O lord of the earth (king)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवीपति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhṛgu
• Nahuṣa
• Pṛthivīpati (the addressed king)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king’s rājadharma centers on protection of the realm and subjects; fulfilling that duty may require patient endurance of severe trials and even the displeasure of powerful ascetics, when the ruler’s intent is righteous governance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma addresses a king and cites Nahuṣa in connection with Bhṛgu, using their names as moral exemplars to advance an argument about the burdens of kingship—especially the obligation to protect and to bear consequences with fortitude.