Shloka 41

आदि पर्व — अध्याय ८३: ययाति-इन्द्र-संवादः तथा अष्टक-प्रश्नः

Yayāti–Indra Dialogue and Aṣṭaka’s Inquiry

Devanagari script

शुक्र उवाच संक्रामयिष्यसि जरां यथेष्टं नहुषात्मज । मामनुध्याय भावेन न च पापमवाप्स्यसि

Transliteration

śukra uvāca saṅkrāmayiṣyasi jarāṃ yatheṣṭaṃ nahuṣātmaja | māmanudhyāya bhāvena na ca pāpam avāpsyasi ||

Translation

Śukra said: “O son of Nahuṣa, you will be able to transfer old age as you wish. Meditating upon me with a devoted disposition, you will not incur sin.”

Word by Word

• शुक्रः: Śukra (the sage)
• शुक्रः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• संक्रामयिष्यसि: you will transfer / cause to pass on
• Type: Verb
• Root: सं-क्रम् (णिच्)
• Form: Simple Future, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• जराम्: old age
• जराम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जरा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• यथा: as / in the manner that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• इष्टम्: desired, wished
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष्ट
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• नहुष-आत्मज: O son of Nahuṣa
• Type: Noun
• Root: नहुष + आत्मज
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: Masculine/Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अनुध्याय: having meditated upon / remembering
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-ध्यै
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada

• भावेन: with devotion / with the right attitude
• भावेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भाव
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• पापम्: sin, demerit
• पापम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाप
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अवाप्स्यसि: you will obtain / incur
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-आप्
• Form: Simple Future, Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

शुक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śukra
• Nahuṣa
• Yayāti (implied by 'son of Nahuṣa')
• old age (jarā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when granted extraordinary power, moral safety is tied to inner orientation: Śukra links the act’s freedom from sin to sustained reverent contemplation (anudhyāna) and right intention (bhāva), emphasizing accountability and devotional restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śukra addresses Nahuṣa’s son (Yayāti) and grants him a boon: he may shift old age at will. Śukra also prescribes a condition—if Yayāti meditates on him with proper devotion, he will not incur sin in connection with this act.