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Shloka 13

Nārada Instructs Dakṣa’s Sons; Allegory of the World; Dakṣa Curses Nārada

पुमान्नैवैति यद्गत्वा बिलस्वर्गं गतो यथा । प्रत्यग्धामाविद इह किमसत्कर्मभिर्भवेत् ॥ १३ ॥

pumān naivaiti yad gatvā bila-svargaṁ gato yathā pratyag-dhāmāvida iha kim asat-karmabhir bhavet

Wie jemand, der in das „Loch“ namens Pātāla hinabsteigt, kaum je wieder gesehen wird, so kehrt auch der, der Vaikuṇṭha-dhāma (pratyag-dhāma) erreicht, nicht in diese materielle Welt zurück. Wenn es eine Stätte gibt, von der man nicht in dieses Elend zurückkehrt, man sie aber nicht sucht und stattdessen wie ein Affe im Vergänglichen umherspringt, welchen Gewinn bringen dann nichtige Werke?

पुमान्a man/person
पुमान्:
Karta (कर्ता)
TypeNoun
Rootपुम्स् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन
not
:
Nishedha (निषेध)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; निषेध (negation particle)
एवindeed/just
एव:
Sambandha (सम्बन्ध/अवधारण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; अवधारण (particle: indeed/just)
एतिgoes/returns
एति:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootइ (धातु)
Formलट् (Present), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन
यत्which (place/state)
यत्:
Karma (कर्म/गन्तव्य)
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; सम्बन्धसूचक (relative)
गत्वाhaving gone
गत्वा:
Kriya (पूर्वक्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootगम् (धातु)
Formक्त्वान्त (Gerund/Absolutive), अव्ययभाव; अर्थः—‘गमनं कृत्वा’
बिल-स्वर्गम्the ‘cave-heaven’
बिल-स्वर्गम्:
Karma (कर्म/गन्तव्य)
TypeNoun
Rootबिल + स्वर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; तत्पुरुष-समास (बिलस्य स्वर्गः)
गतःgone
गतः:
Karta (कर्ता-विशेषण)
TypeVerb
Rootगम् (धातु)
Formक्त (Past Passive Participle), पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; कर्तरि प्रयोगे—‘गमनं कृतवान्’
यथाjust as
यथा:
Upamana (उपमान/दृष्टान्त)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootयथा (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; उपमा/दृष्टान्त (indeclinable: as/just as)
प्रत्यक्-धामthe inner abode (Self)
प्रत्यक्-धाम:
Karma (कर्म/विषय)
TypeNoun
Rootप्रत्यक् + धामन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (प्रत्यक् धाम)
अविदःnot knowing
अविदः:
Visheshana (विशेषण)
TypeAdjective
Rootअविद् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; ‘पुमान्’ इत्यस्य विशेषणम्; अर्थः—अविद्वान्/अजानन्
इहhere
इह:
Adhikarana (अधिकरण)
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइह (अव्यय)
Formअव्यय; देश/कालवाचक (adverb: here/in this world)
किम्what?
किम्:
Prashna (प्रश्न/विधेय)
TypeNoun
Rootकिम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन; प्रश्नार्थक
असत्-कर्मभिःby unreal/evil actions
असत्-कर्मभिः:
Karana (करण)
TypeNoun
Rootअसत् + कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, तृतीया (3rd/Instrumental), बहुवचन; कर्मधारय-समास (असत् कर्म)
भवेत्would be/come to be
भवेत्:
Kriya (क्रिया)
TypeVerb
Rootभू (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ् (Optative), परस्मैपद, प्रथमपुरुष (3rd), एकवचन

As stated in Bhagavad-gītā (15.6) , yad gatvā na nivartante tad dhāma paramaṁ mama: there is a region from which, having gone, one does not return to the material world. This region has been repeatedly described. Elsewhere in Bhagavad-gītā (4.9) , Kṛṣṇa says:

N
Nārada Muni
S
Sons of Dakṣa (Haryaśvas)

FAQs

This verse says that once one realizes the inner self (pratyag-dhāma), fruitive, temporary actions lose their purpose, because they cannot give lasting fulfillment or liberation.

Nārada instructed Dakṣa’s sons to turn away from worldly productivity and ritualistic ambitions and instead seek self-realization and devotion, showing them the futility of temporary goals.

Prioritize practices that awaken inner spiritual awareness—bhakti, sādhana, and self-inquiry—while treating career and achievements as secondary, not as the source of ultimate meaning.