Shloka 4

Nahuṣa Abhiṣeka and the Crisis of Restraint (नहुषाभिषेकः—दमभ्रंशः)

Devanagari script

] दुर्बलो5हं न मे शक्तिर्भवतां परिपालने । बलवागञ्जायते राजा बलं शक्रे हि नित्यदा

Transliteration

durbalo 'haṃ na me śaktir bhavatāṃ paripālane | balavān jāyate rājā balaṃ śakre hi nityadā ||

Translation

“I am weak; I do not possess the power to protect you. Only a strong man becomes king. Indeed, strength abides ever in Indra.”

Word by Word

• दुर्बलः: weak
• दुर्बलः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्बल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• मे: of me / to me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• शक्तिः: power, ability
• शक्तिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्ति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• भवताम्: of you (hon.)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भवत्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• परिपालने: in protecting / in the protection
• परिपालने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: परि-पालन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• बलवान्: strong
• बलवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जायते: is born / comes to be
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन्
• Form: Present, Atmanepada, Third, Singular

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• बलम्: strength
• बलम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• शक्रे: in Śakra (Indra)
• शक्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

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

• नित्यदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यदा

Speaker

शल्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śalya
• Śakra (Indra)
• rājā (king)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Rulership is justified by capacity to protect: a king’s primary dharma is safeguarding others, and without strength (bala/śakti) one should not assume the burden of kingship; Indra is cited as the enduring exemplar of sovereign power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śalya speaks self-effacingly, declaring his inability to protect those addressing him and asserting that only the strong become kings, reinforcing a political-ethical standard for leadership by invoking Indra (Śakra) as the model of constant strength.