Shloka 15
Adhyāya 12: Devas’ Petition to Nahūṣa; Bṛhaspati on Śaraṇāgata-Dharma; Indrāṇī’s Strategic Delay
नाहमिच्छामि नहुषं पतिं देवर्षिसत्तम । शरणागतासि्मि ते ब्रह्मंंस्त्रायस्व महतो भयात्
nāham icchāmi nahuṣaṃ patiṃ devarṣi-sattama | śaraṇāgatāsmi te brahman trāyasva mahato bhayāt ||
O best of the divine seers, O Brahmin sage, I do not wish to accept Nahusha as my husband. Therefore I have come to you for refuge—protect me from this great fear.
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Seeking refuge (śaraṇāgati) with the righteous is upheld as a dharmic recourse, and the one approached—especially a sage—bears a moral duty to protect the suppliant from fear, coercion, and injustice.
A woman, fearing being forced into marriage with Nahusha, rejects him explicitly and approaches a revered seer/Brahmin for asylum, requesting protection from the danger she faces.