Shloka 8
Nahūṣa’s Pride, the Ṛṣi-Borne Palanquin, and the Search for Indra (नहुष-इन्द्राणी-प्रकरणम्)
न च व्रीडा त्वया कार्या सुश्रोणि मयि विश्वसे: । सत्येन वै शपे देवि करिष्ये वचनं तव,'सुश्रोणि! तुम्हें मुझसे लज्जा नहीं करनी चाहिये। मुझपर विश्वास करो। देवि! मैं सत्यकी शपथ खाकर कहता हूँ, तुम्हारी प्रत्येक आज्ञाका पालन करूँगा”
na ca vrīḍā tvayā kāryā suśroṇi mayi viśvase | satyena vai śape devi kariṣye vacanaṃ tava ||
Nahuṣa berkata: “Wahai yang berpinggul elok, janganlah engkau malu di hadapanku; percayalah kepadaku. Wahai yang laksana dewi, aku bersumpah demi kebenaran: aku akan melaksanakan kata-katamu—setiap perintahmu.”
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds ethical speech: one should remove another’s hesitation through reassurance, and bind oneself to truthful commitment. Invoking ‘truth’ as the basis of an oath highlights that promises gain moral force when anchored in satya and reliability.
Śalya addresses a woman respectfully, urging her not to feel embarrassed and to trust him. He then strengthens his assurance by swearing an oath ‘by truth’ that he will carry out whatever instruction she gives.