Shloka 13

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

Devanagari script

वहन्तु त्वां महाभागा ऋषय: संगता विभो । सर्वे शिबिकया राजन्नेतद्धि मम रोचते

Transliteration

vahantu tvāṃ mahābhāgā ṛṣayaḥ saṅgatā vibho | sarve śibikayā rājann etad dhi mama rocate ||

Translation

ศัลยะกล่าวว่า “ข้าแต่ผู้ทรงเดช ข้าแต่มหาภาคะ ขอให้เหล่าฤๅษีผู้มาชุมนุมกันทั้งหมดอัญเชิญพระองค์ไปในเสลี่ยง ข้าแต่พระราชา นั่นแลเป็นสิ่งที่ข้าพอใจ”

Word by Word

• वहन्तु: let (them) carry
• वहन्तु: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वह्
• Form: लोट् (imperative/benedictive sense), परस्मैपद, 3, plural

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: any, accusative, singular

• महाभागाः: highly fortunate / illustrious
• महाभागाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाभाग
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• संगताः: assembled / gathered
• संगताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संगत
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), masculine, nominative, plural

• विभो: O mighty one / O lord
• विभो: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विभु
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• शिबिकया: by/with a palanquin
• शिबिकया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शिबिका
• Form: feminine, instrumental, singular

• राजन्: O king
• राजन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

• हि: indeed / for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• मम: of me / my
• मम: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: any, genitive, singular

• रोचते: pleases / is agreeable
• Type: Verb
• Root: रुच्
• Form: लट् (present), आत्मनेपद, 3, singular

Speaker

शल्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śalya
• ṛṣis (sages)
• śibikā (palanquin)
• rājan (king, addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the politics of honor: public acts of deference (such as being carried in a palanquin by revered persons) are used to confer legitimacy and elevate status. It also shows how counsel can be framed as personal preference while shaping royal conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śalya addresses a king or eminent person and proposes a ceremonial arrangement: the gathered sages should carry him, and specifically in a palanquin. Śalya presents this as his desired or approved mode of conveyance, emphasizing a display of respect and grandeur.