Shloka 3

धौन्धुमारोपाख्यानम्

Dhaundhumāra-Upākhyāna: The Slaying of Dhundhu and the Epithet ‘Dhundhumāra’

Devanagari script

कि ॥॥ ४! | >> 3; (/ / जे | 2 ५ धन्य चि दि >> न्न्न्ा ८ न्‍्ल्व्म ॥/ तावूचतुर्नारर्दं नैतद्‌ भगवन्‌ पूर्वकर्मकर्त्रादिभि-रविशिष्टस्थ पन्‍था उपदिश्यते समर्थाय वा आवां च सख्यं परस्परेणोपगतौ तच्चावधानतो< त्युत्कृष्टमधरो-त्तरं परिभ्रष्टं नारदस्त्वेवमुक्त: श्लोकत्रयमपठत्‌--- ।। “तब उन दोनोंने नारदजीसे कहा--“भगवन्‌! ऐसे बात नहीं है। पहलेके कर्म-कर्ताओं (धर्म-व्यवस्थापकों)-ने यह उपदेश दिया है कि जो अपनेसे सभी बातोंमें बढ़ा-चढ़ा हो या अधिक शक्तिशाली हो, उसीको मार्ग देना चाहिए। हम दोनों एक-दूसरेसे मित्रभाव रखकर मिले हैं। विचार करनेपर हम यह निर्णय नहीं कर पाते कि हम दोनोंमेंसे कौन अत्यन्त श्रेष्ठ है और कौन उसकी अपेक्षा अधिक छोटा?” उनके ऐसा कहनेपर नारदजीने तीन श्लोक पढ़े

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | tau ūcatuḥ nāradaṃ: na etad, bhagavan; pūrva-karmakartr-ādibhiḥ aviśiṣṭaḥ panthā upadiśyate—samarthāya vā; āvāṃ ca sakhyaṃ paraspareṇa upagatau; tac ca avadhānataḥ atyutkṛṣṭa-madhara-uttaraṃ paribhraṣṭam | nāradas tu evam uktaḥ śloka-trayam apaṭhat |

Translation

قال فايشَمبايانا: وخاطب الاثنان نارادا قائلين: «أيها المبجَّل، ليس الأمر كذلك. إن الطريق الذي علّمه الأقدمون من واضعي الدارما وسُنّاع الشرائع هو أن يُفسَح السبيل لمن هو أرفع أو أقدر. غير أنّا التقينا على وُدٍّ متبادل؛ وإذا نحن نتأمّل بتدقيق لا نستطيع أن نُعيّن أيُّنا الأعظم وأيُّنا الأدنى.» فلما قالا ذلك، تلا نارادا ثلاثة أبيات.

Word by Word

• {'vaiśampāyana uvāca': 'Vaiśampāyana said', 'tau': 'those two', 'ūcatuḥ': 'they two said (dual)', 'nāradaṃ': 'to Nārada', 'na etad': 'not this

• not so', 'bhagavan': 'O venerable one

• revered sir', 'pūrva-karmakartṛ': 'ancient performers of duty

• earlier authorities/lawgivers', 'ādibhiḥ': 'and others

• etc. (instrumental plural)', 'aviśiṣṭaḥ panthā': 'the accepted/common path

• established rule of conduct', 'upadiśyate': 'is taught

• is prescribed', 'samarthāya': 'to the capable/stronger one', 'vā': 'or', 'āvām': 'we two (dual)', 'sakhyam': 'friendship', 'paraspareṇa': 'mutually

• with each other', 'upagatau': 'have come together

• have met (dual)', 'avadhānataḥ': 'upon careful attention

• on reflection', 'atyutkṛṣṭa': 'exceedingly superior', 'adhara': 'lower

• inferior', 'uttara': 'higher

• superior', 'paribhraṣṭam': 'has slipped away

• has become uncertain/indeterminate', 'evam uktaḥ': 'thus addressed

• thus spoken to', 'śloka-trayam': 'a triad of verses

• three ślokas', 'apaṭhat': 'recited

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Nārada

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a practical rule of dharma: customary conduct says one should give precedence to the more capable or superior person. Yet it also highlights a moral complication—when two meet as equals in friendship and superiority cannot be clearly determined, rigid hierarchy becomes uncertain, inviting a wiser adjudication.

What is happening in the narrative?

Two individuals (unnamed in this excerpt) speak to the sage Nārada. They reject a prior assumption and explain that tradition advises yielding to the superior, but since they have met as friends and cannot decide who is greater, they are stuck. In response, Nārada begins to resolve the dilemma by reciting three ślokas.