Shloka 9

Nahūṣa’s Fall Explained: Agastya’s Account to Indra (Śalya-narrated)

Devanagari script

पप्रच्छुर्नहुषं देव संशयं जयतां वर । य इसमे ब्रह्मणा प्रोक्ता मन्त्रा वै प्रोक्षणे गवाम्‌

Transliteration

papracchur nahuṣaṃ deva saṃśayaṃ jayatāṃ vara | ya ime brahmaṇā proktā mantrā vai prokṣaṇe gavām ||

Translation

Śalya said: “The sages questioned Nahusha—addressed as Indra, lord of the gods, best of victors—with a doubt: ‘O Indra, do you accept as authoritative these Vedic mantras taught by Brahmā for the ritual sprinkling (prokṣaṇa) of cows, or not?’ Overwhelmed by tamas-born ignorance and unsure of what ought to be done, Nahusha replied to the seers, ‘I do not accept these Vedic mantras as valid authority.’

Word by Word

• पप्रच्छुः: they asked
• पप्रच्छुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• नहुषम्: Nahusha
• नहुषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नहुष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• देव: O god / O lord
• देव: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• संशयम्: a doubt
• संशयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• जयताम्: may (the two) conquer / of the two conquerors
• Type: Verb
• Root: जि (धातु)
• Form: Imperative (लोट्), 3rd, Dual, Parasmaipada

• वर: O best
• वर: Sampradana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• ये: which (those)
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अस्मिन्: in this (Veda/context)
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• ब्रह्मणा: by Brahmā / by the Creator
• ब्रह्मणा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• प्रोक्ताः: spoken / declared
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-वच् (धातु) → प्रोक्त (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मन्त्राः: mantras
• मन्त्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मन्त्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (निपात)

• प्रोक्षणे: in the sprinkling/aspersion rite
• प्रोक्षणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रोक्षण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• गवाम्: of cows
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

Speaker

शल्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śalya
• Nahusha
• Indra (Deveśa/Devendra as addressee in the narrative frame)
• Brahmā
• Ṛṣis/Maharṣis (sages)
• Vedic mantras
• Cows (gāvaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage warns that tamas-born delusion can lead one to reject legitimate sacred authority (Vedic injunctions), which in turn destabilizes dharma and proper decision-making.

What is happening in the narrative?

Sages question Nahusha—addressed in an Indra-like role—about whether he accepts as authoritative the Vedic mantras (said to be taught by Brahmā) used for the ritual sprinkling/consecration of cows; Nahusha, confused by ignorance, answers that he does not accept them as valid.