Shloka 26

Adhyāya 12: Devas’ Petition to Nahūṣa; Bṛhaspati on Śaraṇāgata-Dharma; Indrāṇī’s Strategic Delay

Devanagari script

बहुविघ्न: सुरा: काल: काल: कालं॑ नयिष्यति । गर्वितो बलवांश्षापि नहुषो वरसंश्रयात्‌

Transliteration

bahuvighnaḥ surāḥ kālaḥ kālaḥ kālaṁ nayiṣyati | garvito balavānś cāpi nahuṣo varasaṁśrayāt ||

Translation

“O gods, time is fraught with many obstacles. Time—indeed Time itself—will carry him to his destined end. For Nahusha, supported by the power of your boon, has become strong and arrogant; yet it is Time that will deliver him into the jaws of death.”

Word by Word

• बहुविघ्नः: full of many obstacles
• बहुविघ्नः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बहुविघ्न
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सुराः: O gods
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Plural

• कालः: Time / Death
• कालः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कालः: Time / Death
• कालः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कालम्: to death / to the end (lit. time/death)
• कालम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काल
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नयिष्यति: will lead
• Type: Verb
• Root: नी
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• गर्वितः: proud
• गर्वितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गर्वित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• अपि: even / also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

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

• वरसंश्रयात्: because of reliance on a boon / from the support of a boon
• वरसंश्रयात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर-संश्रय
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• देवताः: O deities
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Plural

Speaker

शल्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Shalya
• Suras (the gods)
• Kāla (Time/Death)
• Nahusha

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power gained through boons or fortune can inflate pride, but arrogance cannot override cosmic order; Kāla (Time/Fate) ultimately humbles and ends all worldly ascendancy.

What is happening in the narrative?

Shalya addresses the gods, warning that the present situation is filled with obstacles: Nahusha, empowered by their boon, has become strong and conceited, yet Time itself will bring about his downfall and death.