Shloka 14

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

Devanagari script

यस्मात्‌ पूर्व: कृतं राजन ब्रह्मर्षिभिरनुछ्ितम्‌ । अदुष्ट॑ दूषयसि मे यच्च मूर्ध्न्यस्पृश: पदा

Transliteration

yasmāt pūrvaḥ kṛtaṃ rājan brahmarṣibhir anuṣṭhitam | aduṣṭaṃ dūṣayasi me yac ca mūrdhny aspṛśaḥ padā ||

Translation

«О царь, в моём лице ты порицаешь обычай, установленный с древних времён и должным образом соблюдаемый брахмариши. Я безупречен, а ты меня обвиняешь; и ещё попрекаешь тем, что ты коснулся моей головы своей ногой.»

Word by Word

• यस्मात्: from which; because of which
• यस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, ablative, singular

• पूर्वः: former; earlier
• पूर्वः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• कृतम्: done; made
• कृतम्: Karma
• Type: Participle
• Root: कृ (क्त, कृत)
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• ब्रह्मर्षिभिः: by the Brahmarishis
• ब्रह्मर्षिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मर्षि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, instrumental, plural

• अनुचितम्: improper; not fitting
• अनुचितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनुचित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, nominative/accusative, singular

• अदुष्टम्: one who is not wicked; the innocent
• अदुष्टम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अदुष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• दूषयसि: you defile; you malign
• Type: Verb
• Root: दूष् (धातु)
• Form: present, second, singular, parasmaipada

• मे: to me / of me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: —, genitive/dative (enclitic), singular

• यत्: that which
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• मूर्ध्नि: on the head
• मूर्ध्नि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मूर्धन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: masculine, locative, singular

• अस्पृशः: untouching; not touching
• अस्पृशः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्पृश् (नञ्-पूर्वक, क्त/कृदन्त-आधारित विशेषण: अस्पृश)
• Form: masculine, nominative, singular

• पदा: with the foot
• पदा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: neuter, instrumental, singular

Speaker

अगस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• King (rājan)
• Brahmarṣis

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes that ethical judgment should respect established dharmic practice (ācāra) upheld by great sages, and that one should not blame the blameless; it also highlights the seriousness of disrespectful bodily acts—such as touching a revered person’s head with the foot.

What is happening in the narrative?

Agastya addresses a king, defending an ancient, sage-sanctioned practice and rebuking the king for wrongly censuring him and for the insulting act of touching his head with the foot.