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

देवगण! समय अनेक विघ्नों से भरा है। काल ही काल को उसके अंत तक ले जाता है। आपके वरदान के आश्रय से नहुष बलवान् और गर्वित हो उठा है; परन्तु काल ही उसे मृत्यु के मुख में पहुँचा देगा।

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.