Shloka 29

अग्निस्तुति, इन्द्रदर्शन, नहुष-भयवर्णन

Agni-hymn, discovery of Indra, and the Nahuṣa threat

Devanagari script

स तान्‌ यथावच्च हि लोकपालान्‌ समेत्य वै प्रीतमना महेन्द्र: । उवाच चैनान्‌ प्रतिभाष्य शक्रः संचोदयिष्यन्नहुषस्यान्तरेण,उन लोकपालोंसे यथायोग्य मिलकर महेन्द्रको बड़ी प्रसन्नता हुई। उन्होंने उन सबको सम्बोधित करके राजा नहुषके भीतर बुद्धिभेद उत्पन्न करनेके लिये प्रेरणा देते हुए कहा --

Transliteration

sa tān yathāvac ca hi lokapālān sametya vai prītamanā mahendraḥ | uvāca cainān pratibhāṣya śakraḥ sañcodayiṣyann ahuṣasyāntareṇa ||

Translation

Nang makaharap ang mga Lokapāla ayon sa nararapat na kaugalian, napuspos ng kasiyahan ang puso ni Mahendra. Pagkaraan, hinarap sila ni Śakra (Indra) at nagsalita, na ang layon ay pasimulan ang isang balak na maghahasik ng pagkalito sa kalooban ni Haring Nahuṣa—upang ang sariling isip ni Nahuṣa ang tumalikod sa wastong paghatol mula sa loob.

Word by Word

• {'saḥ': 'he', 'tān': 'those (them)', 'yathāvat': 'properly, according to rule and propriety', 'hi': 'indeed', 'lokapālān': 'guardians of the worlds

• cosmic regents', 'sametya': 'having met/assembled with', 'vai': 'indeed, certainly (emphatic particle)', 'prītamanāḥ': 'with pleased mind

• delighted at heart', 'mahendraḥ': 'Mahendra

• Indra, lord of the gods', 'uvāca': 'said, spoke', 'ca': 'and', 'enān': 'these (them)', 'pratibhāṣya': 'addressing in reply

• speaking to directly', 'śakraḥ': 'Śakra

• Indra', 'sañcodayiṣyan': 'intending to incite/urge

• about to prompt', 'ahuṣasya': 'of Nahuṣa', 'antareṇa': 'from within

Speaker

शल्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Mahendra (Indra)
• Śakra (Indra)
• Lokapālas
• King Nahuṣa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power and authority must remain aligned with dharma; when pride or illegitimate ambition rises (as with Nahuṣa), it becomes vulnerable to inner confusion and self-caused downfall. The verse highlights how ethical order is protected not only by force but also by counsel and the redirection of a wrong-minded ruler’s intentions.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra (Mahendra/Śakra) meets the Lokapālas properly and is pleased. He then speaks to them with a strategic purpose: to set in motion a course that will create a disruptive change within King Nahuṣa’s mind—an internal turning that will undermine Nahuṣa’s judgment.