Shloka 37

Nakula’s Declaration and the Uñchavṛtti Brāhmaṇa’s Superior Merit (Āśvamedhika Parva, Adhyāya 92)

Devanagari script

प्रसादयामास च तमगस्त्य॑ त्रिदशेश्वर: । स्वयमभ्येत्य राजर्षे पुरस्कृत्य बृहस्पतिम्‌,राजर्षे! देवेश्वर इन्द्रने स्वयं आकर बृहस्पतिको आगे करके अगस्त्य ऋषिको मनाया

Transliteration

prasādayāmāsa ca tam agastyaṃ tridaśeśvaraḥ | svayam abhyetya rājarṣe puraskṛtya bṛhaspatim ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: The lord of the gods, Indra, personally approached the sage Agastya and, placing Bṛhaspati before him as an honored mediator, sought to appease and win over the royal seer. The passage highlights a dharmic model of reconciliation: even the powerful should humble themselves, approach the offended party directly, and employ wise counsel to restore harmony.

Word by Word

प्रसादयामासpropitiated, pleased

चand

तम्him

अगस्त्यम्Agastya

त्रिदशेश्वरःlord of the thirty (gods), i.e., Indra

स्वयम्himself

अभ्येत्यhaving approached

राजर्षेO royal sage

पुरस्कृत्यhaving placed in front / having put forward

बृहस्पतिम्Bṛhaspati

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Agastya

Indra

Bṛhaspati

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power should be guided by dharma: when conflict arises, one should approach with humility, honor wisdom (Bṛhaspati), and seek reconciliation rather than insist on status.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra, the king of the gods, goes in person to Agastya to pacify him, bringing Bṛhaspati forward as a respected counselor/intermediary to facilitate conciliation.