Shloka 16

Devanagari script

मारुत: सुरभिववाति मनोज्ञ: सुखशीतल: । एवं च क्रीडतस्तस्य नहुषस्य दुरात्मन:

Transliteration

mārutaḥ surabhivavāti manojñaḥ sukhaśītalaḥ | evaṃ ca krīḍatas tasya nahuṣasya durātmanāḥ

Translation

Soplaba una brisa fragante: agradable, suavemente fresca y reconfortante. Y mientras aquel Nahuṣa de alma perversa se entregaba al juego en tal comodidad…

Word by Word

मारुतःthe wind

सुरभिःfragrant

ववातिblows

मनोज्ञःpleasant, delightful

सुखशीतलःpleasantly cool

एवंthus, in this manner

चand

क्रीडतःof (him) playing/sporting

तस्यof him, his

नहुषस्यof Nahusha

दुरात्मनःof the wicked-souled (one)

Speaker

शल्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Marut (wind/breeze)

Nahusha

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical contrast between pleasant external circumstances and a corrupted inner disposition: comfort and beauty do not justify unrighteous conduct, and indulgence without dharma tends toward downfall.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śalya describes the setting around Nahusha: a sweet, cool, fragrant breeze accompanies Nahusha’s carefree enjoyment, serving as narrative atmosphere while emphasizing that Nahusha—despite such pleasant surroundings—is characterized as durātman (wicked-minded).