Shloka 116
Atithi-satkāra and the Consolation of Wise Counsel (अतिथिसत्कारः प्रज्ञानवचनस्य च पराश्वासनम्)
क्षिप्तश्ष सहसा तेन खण्डनं प्राप्तवांस्तदा
kṣiptaḥ sa sahasā tena khaṇḍanaṁ prāptavāṁs tadā
Struck down by him in an instant, he then met with shattering ruin. The episode underscores how arrogance and the misuse of power invite swift downfall, especially when one violates the bounds of dharma and disrespects those worthy of honor.
तामिन्द्र उवाच गच्छ नहुषस्त्वया वाच्योथ<पूर्वेण मामृषियुक्तेन यानेन त्वमधिरूढ
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the moral law of consequence: when power is wielded with arrogance and disrespect toward rightful authority and the virtuous, downfall can come abruptly. Dharma protects the humble and restrains the proud; violating it invites ruin.
In the Nahusha–Indra episode alluded to here, Nahusha’s overreach leads to a sudden reversal. He is swiftly cast down and suffers ruin, marking the moment when his inflated authority collapses.