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Shloka 25

The Appearance and Coronation of King Pṛthu (Pṛthu-avatāra) and His Humble Refusal of Premature Praise

प्रभवो ह्यात्मन: स्तोत्रं जुगुप्सन्त्यपि विश्रुता: । ह्रीमन्त: परमोदारा: पौरुषं वा विगर्हितम् ॥ २५ ॥

prabhavo hy ātmanaḥ stotraṁ jugupsanty api viśrutāḥ hrīmantaḥ paramodārāḥ pauruṣaṁ vā vigarhitam

كما أنّ صاحب المروءة والسخاء لا يحب أن يسمع ذكر أفعاله القبيحة، كذلك فإنّ شديد الشهرة والقوة لا يطيب له أن يسمع مدح نفسه.

प्रभवःgreat persons
प्रभवः:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रभव (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘great persons/authorities’
हिindeed
हि:
Hetu (हेतु)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; हेतौ/निश्चयार्थे ‘indeed/for’
आत्मनःof oneself
आत्मनः:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध)
TypeNoun
Rootआत्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, एकवचन
स्तोत्रम्praise (of oneself)
स्तोत्रम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootस्तोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन
जुगुप्सन्तिavoid/feel ashamed of
जुगुप्सन्ति:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootगुप्/जुगुप्सा (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), प्रथमपुरुष, बहुवचन; परस्मैपद; ‘feel disgust/avoid’
अपिeven
अपि:
Sambandha (particle)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; ‘even’
विश्रुताःrenowned
विश्रुताः:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootविश्रुत (कृदन्त; श्रु धातु with vi-)
Formभूतकृदन्त, पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘well-known’
ह्रीमन्तःmodest
ह्रीमन्तः:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootह्रीमन्त् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘modest/shy’
परम-उदाराःmost noble
परम-उदाराः:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootपरम + उदार (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन; ‘supremely generous/noble’
पौरुषम्self-praise/boasting
पौरुषम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeNoun
Rootपौरुष (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘self-praise/manliness (here: boasting)’
वाor
वा:
Sambandha (conjunction)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; विकल्पार्थे ‘or’
विगर्हितम्blameworthy
विगर्हितम्:
Karma (कर्म)
TypeAdjective
Rootविगर्हित (कृदन्त; गर्ह् धातु with vi-)
Formभूतकृदन्त, नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, एकवचन; ‘censured’

FAQs

This verse teaches that truly great and famous persons feel aversion to hearing their own praise, and the genuinely modest avoid any self-display that could be considered blameworthy.

Śukadeva Gosvāmī speaks this while narrating Canto 4’s royal histories; the verse highlights saintly etiquette—real nobility is marked by humility, not self-advertisement.

Avoid self-promotion and ego-driven boasting; let character and service speak for themselves, and cultivate modesty and generosity as marks of real strength.