Shloka 3

Nakula’s Counsel on Yajña, Dāna, and Tyāga (नकुलोपदेशः—यज्ञदानत्यागविचारः)

Devanagari script

नकुल उवाच विशाखयूपे देवानां सर्वेषामग्नयश्िता: । तस्माद्‌ विद्धि महाराज देवा: कर्मफले स्थिता:

Transliteration

Nakula uvāca—Viśākhayūpe devānāṁ sarveṣām agnayaḥ sthitāḥ | tasmād viddhi mahārāja devāḥ karmaphale sthitāḥ ||

Translation

قال ناكولا: «أيها الملك العظيم، في فيشاخايوپا (Viśākhayūpa) ما تزال قائمة آثارُ مذابح النار التي أقامتها الآلهة جميعًا. فاعلم إذن: إن الآلهة أيضًا تقوم على العمل الطقسي ونتائجه.»

Word by Word

• {'Nakula uvāca': 'Nakula said', 'Viśākhayūpe': 'at/in Viśākhayūpa (a named sacred place/field)', 'devānām sarveṣām': 'of all the gods', 'agnayaḥ': 'sacred fires

• fire-altars (as instituted in Vedic rites)', 'sthitāḥ': 'standing

• present', 'tasmāt': 'therefore

• from that (evidence)', 'viddhi': 'know

• understand', 'mahārāja': 'O great king', 'devāḥ': 'the gods', 'karma-phale': 'in action and its fruit

• in the results of prescribed rites', 'sthitāḥ (karmaphale sthitāḥ)': 'are grounded in/committed to (the doctrine of) karmic results'}

Speaker

नकुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nakula
• Mahārāja (the king addressed)
• Devas (all gods)
• Viśākhayūpa
• Agni / sacred fires (fire-altars)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Nakula argues that karma and its fruits are authoritative even for the gods; the visible remains of established sacred fires serve as proof that divine beings themselves rely on Vedic action and its results.

What is happening in the narrative?

In a didactic exchange in Śānti Parva, Nakula addresses the king and points to a sacred site named Viśākhayūpa where fire-altars are said to remain, using this as an example to support the principle that ritual action yields results and is upheld universally.