Shloka 12

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

Devanagari script

अगस्त्य उवाच ततो विवदमान: स मुनिभि: सह वासव । अथ मामस्पृशन्मूर्थ्नि पादेनाधर्मपीडित:

Transliteration

agastya uvāca | tato vivadamānaḥ sa munibhiḥ saha vāsava | atha mām aspṛśan mūrdhni pādena adharmapīḍitaḥ |

Translation

ଅଗସ୍ତ୍ୟ କହିଲେ—ହେ ବାସବ (ଇନ୍ଦ୍ର)! ତାପରେ ନହୁଷ ମୁନିମାନଙ୍କ ସହ ବିବାଦ କରିବାକୁ ଲାଗିଲା; ଅଧର୍ମରେ ପୀଡିତ ହୋଇ ସେ ପାପୀ ମୋ ମସ୍ତକକୁ ପାଦରେ ପ୍ରହାର କଲା।

Word by Word

• अगस्त्यः: Agastya
• अगस्त्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगस्त्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular

• ततः: then/from there
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• विवदमानः: disputing/arguing
• Type: Verb
• Root: विवद्
• Form: Present active participle (Parasmaipada), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मुनिभिः: with sages
• मुनिभिः: Saha
• Type: Noun
• Root: मुनि
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सह: together with
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सह

• वासव: O Vāsava (Indra)
• वासव: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वासव
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• अथ: then/thereupon
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• माम्: me
• माम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Accusative, Singular

• अस्पृशत्: touched/struck
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्पृश्
• Form: Imperfect, Third, Singular

• मूर्ध्नि: on (my) head
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• पादेन: with (his) foot
• पादेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• अधर्मपीडितः: oppressed by unrighteousness
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधर्म-पीडित
• Form: Past passive participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

अगस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Indra (Vāsava)
• Nahusha
• Sages (munis)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

When a ruler or powerful person becomes dominated by adharma—anger, pride, and disrespect—he commits grave offenses, especially against sages and elders; such transgression signals moral collapse and invites downfall.

What is happening in the narrative?

Agastya recounts to Indra that Nahusha, having fallen into unrighteous conduct, argued with the sages and, in a shocking act of arrogance, struck Agastya on the head with his foot.