बृहस्पतिर् उवाच
मानुषो नहुषो राजा देवर्षिगणतेजसा ॥
देवराज्यम् अनुप्राप्तः सर्वान् नो बाधते भृशम् ॥
इन्द्र उवाच
कथं नु नहुषो राज्यं देवानां प्राप दुर्लभम् ॥
तपसा केन वा युक्तः किंवीर्यो वा बृहस्पते ॥
बृहस्पतिर् उवाच
देवा भीताः शक्रम् अकामयन्त; त्वया त्यक्तं महद् ऐन्द्रं पदं तत् ॥
तदा देवाः पितरो ऽथर्षयश् च; गन्धर्वसंघाश् च समेत्य सर्वे ॥
गत्वाब्रुवन् नहुषं शक्र तत्र; त्वं नो राजा भव भुवनस्य गोप्ता ॥
तान् अब्रवीन् नहुषो नास्मि शक्त; आप्यायध्वं तपसा तेजसा च ॥
एवम् उक्तैर् वर्धितश् चापि देवै; राजाभवन् नहुषो घोरवीर्यः ॥
त्रैलोक्ये च प्राप्य राज्यं तपस्विनः; कृत्वा वाहान् याति लोकान् दुरात्मा ॥
bṛhaspatir uvāca
mānuṣo nahuṣo rājā devarṣigaṇatejasā ||
devarājyam anuprāptaḥ sarvān no bādhate bhṛśam ||
indra uvāca
kathaṃ nu nahuṣo rājyaṃ devānāṃ prāpa durlabham ||
tapasā kena vā yuktaḥ kiṃvīryo vā bṛhaspate ||
bṛhaspatir uvāca
devā bhītāḥ śakram akāmayanta; tvayā tyaktaṃ mahad aindraṃ padaṃ tat ||
tadā devāḥ pitaro 'tharṣayaś ca; gandharvasaṃghāś ca sametya sarve ||
gatvābruvan nahuṣaṃ śakra tatra; tvaṃ no rājā bhava bhuvanasya goptā ||
tān abravīn nahuṣo nāsmi śakta; āpyāyadhvaṃ tapasā tejasā ca ||
evam uktair vardhitaś cāpi devai; rājābhavan nahuṣo ghoravīryaḥ ||
trailokye ca prāpya rājyaṃ tapasvinaḥ; kṛtvā vāhān yāti lokān durātmā ||
To them Nahusha said: 'I am not able; fill me with your strength and with the virtue of your austerity!' Having said this, the gods strengthened him, O king of the gods! And thereafter Nahusha became a man of terrible strength, and thus becoming the ruler of the three worlds, he yoked the great sages to his chariot, and in this way the wretched one wandered from world to world. May you never behold Nahusha, who is terrible. He emits poison from his eyes and devours the energy of everything. All the gods are exceedingly frightened; they go about in hiding and do not cast a glance at him!' Shalya continued: 'While this best of the line of Angiras was speaking thus, there came the guardian of the world Kubera, and also Yama, son of Surya, and the ancient god Soma, and Varuna. And having arrived there, they said to the great Indra: "How fortunate that the son of Tvashtri has been slain, as well as Vritra!"'
d66d5ba3245f · published Jul 17, 2026, 3:31:49 AM UTC
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This passage (5.16.21-25) develops the central theme of the Udyoga-parva: the effort for peace is already under way against the backdrop of an inevitable war. Dharma is revealed here through speech, the choice of envoys, faithfulness to promises, and the responsibility kings bear for the consequences of their decisions.