Shloka 12
Nahuṣa Abhiṣeka and the Crisis of Restraint (नहुषाभिषेकः—दमभ्रंशः)
कैलासे हिमवत्पृष्ठे मन्दरे श्वेतपर्वते । सहो महेन्द्रे मलये समुद्रेषु सरित्सु च
kailāse himavatpṛṣṭhe mandare śvetaparvate | sahā mahendre malaye samudreṣu saritsu ca ||
Śalya said: “In Kailāsa, on the heights of Himavat, on Mandara and the White Mountain, on Sahya, Mahendra, and Malaya, and also amid the oceans and the rivers—King Nahuṣa, in the fullness of the gods’ pleasure-gardens and the groves of Nandana, sported in many ways with apsarases and celestial maidens. He listened to diverse divine tales that delighted ear and mind, and he enjoyed songs sweetly sung to every kind of musical instrument.”
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the allure of celestial pleasure—gardens, music, stories, and companionship—implicitly warning that even exalted power and refined enjoyment can distract a ruler from restraint and dharma. It sets up an ethical contrast between indulgence and disciplined kingship.
Śalya describes King Nahuṣa moving through famed divine mountains, oceans, and rivers, enjoying the gods’ pleasure-groves (especially Nandana), sporting with apsarases and celestial maidens, and delighting in divine tales and music—an image of peak prosperity and indulgence in a heavenly setting.