Shloka 1

Nītisāra: Virtuous Association, Household Dharma, and Kāla (Time) as the Supreme Regulator

Devanagari script

नाम सप्तोत्तरशततमो ऽध्यायः सूत उवाच / नीतिसारं प्रवक्ष्यामि अर्थशास्त्रादिसंश्रितम् / राजादिभ्यो हितं पुण्यमायुः स्वर्गादिदायकम्

Transliteration

nāma saptottaraśatatamo 'dhyāyaḥ sūta uvāca / nītisāraṃ pravakṣyāmi arthaśāstrādisaṃśritam / rājādibhyo hitaṃ puṇyamāyuḥ svargādidāyakam

Translation

Sūta sprach: „Ich werde das Wesen von nīti — rechter Lebensführung und Staatskunst — darlegen, gegründet auf die Arthaśāstra und verwandte Lehren: heilsam für Könige und andere, verdienstvoll, lebensverlängernd und spendend die Errungenschaften des Himmels und darüber hinaus.“

Word by Word

• नाम: namely
• नाम: Sambandha (Discourse/सम्बन्ध)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नाम (अव्यय)
• Form: नाम-शब्दः (particle: ‘namely/indeed’)

• सप्तोत्तरशततमः: the 107th
• सप्तोत्तरशततमः: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सप्त + उत्तर + शत + तम (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन; क्रमवाचक (ordinal): ‘one hundred and seven’ (107th)

• अध्यायः: chapter
• अध्यायः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• सूतः: Sūta
• सूतः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: सूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: लिट् (perfect), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• नीतिसारम्: the essence of polity/ethics
• नीतिसारम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नीति + सार (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case/accusative), एकवचन; षष्ठी-तत्पुरुषः: नीत्याः सारः

• प्रवक्ष्यामि: I shall expound
• प्रवक्ष्यामि: Kriya (Action/क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + वच् (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (simple future), उत्तमपुरुष (1st person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

• अर्थशास्त्रादिसंश्रितम्: based on Arthaśāstra and others
• अर्थशास्त्रादिसंश्रितम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अर्थशास्त्र + आदि + संश्रित (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) ‘संश्रित’ = based on; समासः: अर्थशास्त्रादिषु संश्रितम्

• राजादिभ्यः: for kings and others
• राजादिभ्यः: Sampradana (Recipient/सम्प्रदान)
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन् + आदि (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: पुल्लिङ्ग, चतुर्थी (4th case/dative), बहुवचन; ‘राजादि’ = kings etc.

• हितम्: beneficial
• हितम्: Karma (Object/कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हित (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; क्त-प्रत्ययान्त (past participle) ‘हित’ = beneficial

• पुण्यम्: meritorious
• पुण्यम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुण्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; विशेषण

• आयुः: life-span
• आयुः: Karta (Subject/कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st case), एकवचन

• स्वर्गादिदायकम्: granting heaven and the like
• स्वर्गादिदायकम्: Visheshana (Qualifier/विशेषण)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वर्ग + आदि + दायक (प्रातिपदिक; समास)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd case), एकवचन; ‘स्वर्गादि’ = heaven etc.; दायक = giving

Speaker

Sūta

Philosophical Teaching

Concept: Nīti (ethical governance and conduct) rooted in arthaśāstra supports worldly welfare and also yields spiritual merit and higher attainments.

Vedantic Theme: Integration of puruṣārthas: artha guided by dharma becomes a support for auspicious gati; worldly order as a preparatory field for higher ends.

Application: Leaders and householders should study policy/ethics, govern justly, and align power with dharma to secure welfare and merit.

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: vira

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Cross References

Related Themes: Garuda Purana 1.108.2 (sad-saṅga as nīti foundation)

Characters & Entities

• Sūta
• Arthaśāstra
• Rājā (king)

FAQs

What is the importance of Nīti-sāra in the Garuda Purana?

This verse introduces Nīti-sāra as a practical, Arthaśāstra-grounded teaching meant to guide righteous governance and conduct, producing merit and auspicious results.

How does this verse explain the path of the soul?

Indirectly: it links ethical action (nīti) with puṇya and higher destinations like svarga, implying that right conduct shapes post-death outcomes.

Practical application of this wisdom today?

Apply nīti as principled decision-making—fair leadership, truthful conduct, and duty-based action—since the text frames such living as beneficial and merit-generating.