नहुषोपाख्यानम्—दीपदान-धूप-बलीकर्म-प्रशंसा
Nahūṣa Episode and the Commendation of Lamp-Gifting and Household Offerings
ततः स परिहीणो<भूत् सुरेन्द्रो बलदर्पत: । धूपदीपोदकविधधि न यथावच्चकार ह
tataḥ sa parihīṇo 'bhūt surendro baladarpataḥ | dhūpadīpodakavidhīṁ na yathāvac cakāra ha ||
ಭೀಷ್ಮನು ಹೇಳಿದನು— ನಂತರ ಬಲದ ದರ್ಪದಿಂದ ಮದೋನ್ಮತ್ತನಾದ ಆ ದೇವರಾಜನು ತನ್ನ ಯೋಗ್ಯ ಸ್ಥಿತಿಯಿಂದ ಪತನಗೊಂಡನು. ಧೂಪ, ದೀಪ ಮತ್ತು ಜಲ ಅರ್ಪಣೆಯ ವಿಧಿಗಳನ್ನು ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರೋಕ್ತವಾಗಿ ಯಥಾವತ್ತಾಗಿ ಇನ್ನು ನೆರವೇರಿಸಲಿಲ್ಲ.
भीष्म उवाच
Power breeds downfall when it turns into pride: arrogance leads to negligence of prescribed duties, and the neglect of small daily rites (incense, lamp, water offerings) reflects a broader collapse of self-restraint and dharma.
Bhīṣma describes the decline of the ‘lord of the gods’ (in the episode, Nahusha elevated to Indra’s position): intoxicated by power, he stops observing the proper ritual procedures for offerings, marking the beginning of his moral and spiritual fall.