Shloka 26

Nahūṣa’s Pride, the Ṛṣi-Borne Palanquin, and the Search for Indra (नहुष-इन्द्राणी-प्रकरणम्)

Devanagari script

अधर्मज्ञो महर्षीणां वाहनाच्च ततः शुभे । इष्टिं चाहं करिष्यामि विनाशायास्य दुर्मते:

Transliteration

adharmajño maharṣīṇāṁ vāhanācca tataḥ śubhe | iṣṭiṁ cāhaṁ kariṣyāmi vināśāyāsya durmateḥ ||

Translation

శల్యుడు అన్నాడు—శుభే! ఇతడు ధర్మాన్ని ఎరుగడు; మహర్షుల వాహనాన్ని కూడా అపహరించాడు. అందుకే ఈ దుర్మతి నాశనార్థం నేను ఇష్టి యాగం నిర్వహిస్తాను.

Word by Word

• अधर्मज्ञः: knower of adharma / one who knows unrighteousness
• अधर्मज्ञः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधर्मज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महर्षीणाम्: of the great sages
• महर्षीणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• वाहनात्: from the vehicle / from the conveyance
• वाहनात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाहन
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

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

• ततः: then / thereafter / from that
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• शुभे: O auspicious one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शुभ
• Form: Feminine, Vocative, Singular

• इष्टिम्: a sacrifice / rite
• इष्टिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

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

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• करिष्यामि: will do / will perform
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• विनाशाय: for destruction
• विनाशाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विनाश
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• अस्य: of this (man) / his
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (अस्/एतद्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• दुर्मतेः: of the evil-minded one
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुर्मति
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

शल्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śalya
• mahārṣis (great seers)
• vāhana (vehicle/conveyance)
• iṣṭi (sacrificial rite)
• śubhe (addressed woman, unnamed here)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames ethical failure (ignorance of dharma and disrespect toward sages) as a grave offense that invites deliberate counteraction; it also shows how ritual action (iṣṭi) can be conceived as morally charged—used not only for welfare but as a response to wrongdoing.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śalya addresses an auspicious lady and condemns a certain person as adharma-minded, citing the taking of the great seers’ conveyance as evidence; he then declares his intention to perform an iṣṭi specifically aimed at bringing about that person’s destruction.