Shloka 14
Nahūṣa’s Pride, the Ṛṣi-Borne Palanquin, and the Search for Indra (नहुष-इन्द्राणी-प्रकरणम्)
प्रभो! महाभाग सप्तर्षि एकत्र होकर शिबिकाद्वारा आपका वहन करें। राजन्! यही मुझे अच्छा लगता है ।।
prabho! mahābhāga saptaṛṣaya ekatra bhūtvā śibikayā tava vahnaṃ kurvantu. rājan! etad eva mama rocate. na asureṣu na deveṣu tulyo bhavitum arhasi. sarveṣāṃ teja ādattse svena vīryeṇa darśanāt. na te pramukhataḥ sthātuṃ kaścid śaknoti vīryavān.
Śalya berkata: “Wahai tuanku, wahai yang amat bertuah—biarlah Tujuh Resi berhimpun dan mengusungmu dalam sebuah tandu. Wahai Raja, itulah yang berkenan padaku. Dalam kalangan Asura mahupun Deva, tiada seorang pun layak menjadi setaramu. Dengan keperkasaanmu sendiri, hanya dengan terlihat, seakan-akan engkau merampas seri dan cahaya semua. Tiada sesiapa pun, betapa gagah sekalipun, mampu berdiri berhadapan denganmu.”
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights the classical idea of tejas—an inner radiance born of valor and stature—so overwhelming that it diminishes others’ confidence. Ethically, it also shows how praise and honorific proposals can be used to elevate a leader’s status and influence decisions in a tense political setting.
Śalya addresses a king with extravagant praise, proposing that even the Seven Sages should carry him in a palanquin. He asserts that neither gods nor demons equal the king, and that no warrior can face him—language meant to magnify the king’s prestige and martial reputation.