Shloka 30

Devanagari script

क्षिप्रं वामभिकामश्न विनशिष्यति पापकृत्‌ | नहुषो देवि शक्रश्न सुरैश्चवर्यमवाप्स्यति

Transliteration

kṣipraṃ vām abhikāmaś ca vinaśiṣyati pāpakṛt | nahuṣo devi śakraś ca suraiś cāryam avāpsyati ||

Translation

‘விரைவில் காமவெறியால் ஆட்கொள்ளப்பட்ட பாவி அழிவான். தேவி! நஹுஷனும் அல்ல, சக்ரனும் அல்ல—தேவர்களில் மேலாதிக்கத்தை அடையமாட்டார்கள்.’

Word by Word

क्षिप्रम्quickly, soon

वामleft (side); adverse

अभिकामःdesirous, eager

नnot

विनशिष्यतिperishes, is destroyed

पापकृत्evil-doer, sinner

नहुषःNahusha (proper name)

देविO goddess / O lady

शक्रःShakra (Indra)

नnot

सुरैःby/with the gods

चand

वर्यम्the best state/boon; excellence

अवाप्स्यतिwill obtain, will attain

Speaker

शल्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

Śalya

Nahuṣa

Śakra (Indra)

Devi (goddess, addressed)

Suras (the gods)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Wrongdoing and uncontrolled desire lead swiftly to ruin; even exalted status cannot be securely held when dharma is violated.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śalya delivers a warning framed through mythic exemplars (Nahuṣa and Śakra/Indra), emphasizing that supremacy among the gods is not attained—or is lost—when one is driven by sin and desire.