Shloka 7
Nahūṣa’s Pride, the Ṛṣi-Borne Palanquin, and the Search for Indra (नहुष-इन्द्राणी-प्रकरणम्)
भक्त मां भज कल्याणि किमिच्छसि मनस्विनि । तव कल्याणि यत् कार्य तत् करिष्ये सुमध्यमे,“कल्याणि! मैं तुम्हारा भक्त हूँ, मुझे स्वीकार करो। मनस्विनि! तुम क्या चाहती हो? सुमध्यमे! तुम्हारा जो भी कार्य होगा, उसे मैं सिद्ध करूँगा
bhakta māṁ bhaja kalyāṇi kim icchasi manasvini | tava kalyāṇi yat kārya tat kariṣye sumadhyame ||
Disse Nahuṣa: “Ó senhora auspiciosa, sou teu servo devotado—aceita-me. Tu, de ânimo nobre, o que desejas? Ó tu, de cintura esbelta, qualquer tarefa que seja para o teu bem, eu a cumprirei.”
शल्य उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds the ethics of pledged service: one should speak plainly, ask the other’s intention, and commit oneself to actions aimed at the other’s welfare (kalyāṇa), not merely to self-interest.
Śalya addresses a woman with respectful epithets and offers himself as her devoted supporter, asking what she wants and promising to carry out whatever task will secure her good.