Shloka 1
Adhyāya 12: Devas’ Petition to Nahūṣa; Bṛhaspati on Śaraṇāgata-Dharma; Indrāṇī’s Strategic Delay
2 ड-ण का द्वादशोड् ध्याय: देवता-नहुष-संवाद, बृहस्पतिके द्वारा इन्द्राणीकी रक्षा तथा इन्द्राणीका नहुषके 5 कक छ समयकी अवधि माँगनेके जाना शल्य उवाच क्रुद्धं तु नहुषं दृष्टवा देवा ऋषिपुरोगमा: । अब्लुवन् देवराजानं नहुषं घोरदर्शनम्,शल्य कहते हैं--युधिष्ठि!! देवराज नहुषको क्रोधमें भरे हुए देख देवतालोग ऋषियोंको आगे करके उनके पास गये। उस समय उनकी दृष्टि बड़ी भयंकर प्रतीत होती थी। देवताओं तथा ऋषियोंने कहा--
śalya uvāca | kruddhaṃ tu nahuṣaṃ dṛṣṭvā devā ṛṣipurogamāḥ | abruvan devarājānaṃ nahuṣaṃ ghoradarśanam ||
શલ્ય બોલ્યા—યુધિષ્ઠિર! ક્રોધથી ભરાયેલા નહુષને જોઈ દેવતાઓએ ઋષિઓને આગળ રાખીને તેની પાસે જઈ, ભયંકર દર્શન ધરાવતા દેવરાજ નહુષને કહ્યું. ત્યારે દેવો અને ઋષિઓએ કહ્યું—
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
Power without self-restraint becomes frightening and unstable; therefore the gods seek the guidance and moral authority of sages, implying that righteous counsel (dharma) should govern even the highest sovereignty.
Nahuṣa, acting as devarāja, is seen in a wrathful and fearsome state. The gods, led by the sages, go to him and begin to speak—introducing a dialogue meant to check his conduct and avert the consequences of his anger and arrogance.