Shloka 19

Cyavana’s Yogic Display and Kuśika’s Recognition of Tapas (च्यवन-योगप्रभावः कुशिकस्य तपःप्रशंसा च)

Devanagari script

हन्याद्धि भगवान्‌ क्रुद्धस्त्रलोक्यमपि केवलम्‌ | किं पुनर्मा तपोहीनं बाहुवीर्यपरायणम्‌

Transliteration

hanyāddhi bhagavān kruddhas trailokyam api kevalam | kiṁ punar mā tapohīnaṁ bāhuvīryaparāyaṇam ||

Translation

Car si le Seigneur Bienheureux, dans sa colère, pouvait anéantir d’un seul coup les trois mondes, combien plus aisément pourrait-il me frapper, moi—dépourvu de puissance ascétique et ne comptant que sur la force de mes bras ?

Word by Word

• हन्यात्: might slay / could kill
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, optative, 3, singular, parasmaipada

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

• भगवान्: the Blessed Lord
• भगवान्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भगवत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• क्रुद्धः: angered
• क्रुद्धः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रुद्ध (कृदन्त; क्त)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• त्रैलोक्यम्: the three worlds
• त्रैलोक्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रैलोक्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

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

• केवलम्: entirely / wholly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: केवल (प्रातिपदिक)

• किम्: what then? / how much more?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: किम् (प्रातिपदिक)

• पुनः: again / moreover
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुनः

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: common, accusative, singular

• तपोहीनम्: devoid of austerity
• तपोहीनम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तपोहीन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• बाहुवीर्यपरायणम्: relying on the strength of (my) arms
• बाहुवीर्यपरायणम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बाहुवीर्यपरायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

Speaker

नहुष उवाच

Characters & Entities

• नहुष (Nahusha)
• भगवान् (the Blessed Lord)
• त्रैलोक्य (the three worlds)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse contrasts divine, dharma-backed power with mere bodily strength: without tapas (spiritual discipline/merit) and humility, reliance on arm-strength is fragile, and one should not presume safety before a higher moral-cosmic authority.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nahusha speaks in a self-abasing, cautionary tone, acknowledging that if the Lord’s wrath can annihilate even the three worlds, then Nahusha—lacking ascetic power and depending only on physical prowess—would be even more vulnerable.