Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

भूगुरुवाच पितामहनियोगेन भवन्तं सो5हमागत: । प्रतिकर्तु बलवति नहुषे दैवमोहिते

Transliteration

Bhṛgur uvāca: pitāmaha-niyogena bhavantaṃ so ’ham āgataḥ | pratikartuṃ balavati Nahuṣe daiva-mohite ||

Translation

婆利古说道：“奉大祖（梵天）之命，我来到你这里。强大的那胡沙被命运所迷惑，已然误入歧途；如今正是追讨他对诸仙（ṛṣi）所施压迫之应得报应的时候。”

Word by Word

• भृगुः: Bhṛgu (the sage)
• भृगुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृगु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पितामह: of the Grandfather (Brahmā)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• नियोगेन: by the command/appointment
• नियोगेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियोग
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• भवन्तम्: you (honorific)
• भवन्तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: भवत्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सः: that (he)/I (emphatic: that very one)
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• आगतः: come/arrived
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-गम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

• प्रतिकर्तुम्: to retaliate / to requite
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-कृ
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive)

• बलवति: in/with respect to the powerful one
• बलवति: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: बलवत्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• नहुषे: in Nahusha
• नहुषे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नहुष
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• दैव: by fate/divine influence
• दैव: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दैव
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• मोहिते: deluded
• मोहिते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मुह्
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)

Speaker

अगस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhṛgu
• Brahmā (Pitāmaha)
• Nahuṣa
• Agastya (addressee implied by 'bhavantam')
• Ṛṣis (sages; implied by context of oppression)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Power without self-restraint leads to adharma; when a ruler, deluded by fate and pride, harms the righteous (ṛṣis), dharma demands accountability and proportionate requital to restore moral order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhṛgu reports that Brahmā has commissioned him to approach Agastya, because King Nahuṣa—though powerful—has become deluded and oppressive; the sages are preparing to respond so that his wrongdoing against ṛṣis is answered and checked.