Shloka 11

Devanagari script

अयं मे नाहुष सखा गालवस्तपसो निधि: । विश्वामित्रस्य शिष्यो5भूद्‌ वर्षाण्ययुतशो नूप,“नहुषनन्दन! ये तपोनिधि गालव मेरे मित्र हैं। राजन! ये दस हजार वर्षोतक महर्षि विश्वामित्रके शिष्य रहे हैं

Transliteration

ayaṁ me nāhuṣa sakhā gālavastapaso nidhiḥ | viśvāmitrasya śiṣyo 'bhūd varṣāṇy ayutaśo nṛpa ||

Translation

நாரதர் கூறினார்—ஓ நஹுஷ வம்சத்தவனே, இந்த காளவன் என் நண்பன்; தவத்தின் நிதி போன்றவன். ஓ அரசே, இவர் அயுத ஆண்டுகள் (பத்தாயிரம் ஆண்டுகள்) மகரிஷி விஸ்வாமித்திரரின் சீடனாக இருந்தார்.

Word by Word

अयम्this (man)

मेmy

नाहुषO Nahusha

सखाfriend

गालवःGālava

तपसःof austerity

निधिःtreasure; store

विश्वामित्रस्यof Viśvāmitra

शिष्यःdisciple

अभूत्was; became

वर्षाणिyears

अयुतशःby tens of thousands; ten-thousandfold

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Gālava

Viśvāmitra

Nahuṣa (dynastic reference)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores ethical authority grounded in tapas and disciplined discipleship: a person’s credibility and worth are established through sustained austerity and faithful training under a guru, not merely by status or claims.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada introduces Gālava to a king addressed as “descendant of Nahuṣa,” vouching for him as a close friend and an ascetic of great merit, and adds that Gālava spent an immense span of time as Viśvāmitra’s disciple—establishing his stature before the ensuing discussion.