Shloka 15

Nahūṣa’s Fall Explained: Agastya’s Account to Indra (Śalya-narrated)

Devanagari script

यच्चापि त्वमृषीन्‌ मूढ ब्रह्मुकल्पान्‌ दुरासदान्‌

Transliteration

yaccāpi tvam ṛṣīn mūḍha brahmukalpān durāsadān

Translation

Dan lagi, wahai yang terpedaya, engkau bahkan berani berhadapan dengan para resi—para pertapa agung laksana Brahmā, sukar didekati dan menggerunkan—lalu terserlah kesombongan melulu serta kegagalanmu mengenal kewibawaan rohani yang sejati.

Word by Word

• यत्: and that which / that (fact) that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद्
• Form: relative pronoun (neuter singular accusative used adverbially: 'that which/that')

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: conjunction

• अपि: also / even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि
• Form: particle

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: masculine (pronoun), nominative, singular

• ऋषीन्: sages
• ऋषीन्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural

• मूढ: O deluded one / O fool
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मूढ
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular (addressing 'you')

• ब्रह्मकल्पान्: Brahma-like / equal to Brahmā
• ब्रह्मकल्पान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मकल्प
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural (agreeing with ऋषीन्)

• दुरासदान्: hard to approach / unassailable
• दुरासदान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुरासद
• Form: masculine, accusative, plural (agreeing with ऋषीन्)

Speaker

अगस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• ṛṣis (sages)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should recognize and honor spiritual authority; arrogance that leads one to challenge or disrespect great sages is portrayed as delusion and a breach of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Agastya rebukes the addressed person, pointing out that he has even taken on mighty ṛṣis—Brahma-like and unapproachable—highlighting the speaker’s condemnation of the person’s folly and overconfidence.