Shloka 12

Nārada’s Exempla of Tapas and Assurance to Dhṛtarāṣṭra (नारदोपदेशः—तपःसिद्ध्युदाहरणम्)

Devanagari script

ततः स राजा प्रददौ तापसार्थमुपाहतान्‌ | कलशान्‌ काज्चनान्‌ राजंस्तथैवौदुम्बरानपि

Transliteration

tataḥ sa rājā pradadau tāpasārtham upāhatān | kalaśān kāñcanān rājaṁs tathaivaudumbarān api ||

Translation

Daraufhin verteilte der König zum Nutzen der Asketen die herbeigebrachten Gefäße: goldene Krüge und ebenso kupferne (udumbara). Im Rahmen der Āśramavāsika Parva unterstreicht diese Tat die dharmische Pflicht des Herrschers, jene zu unterstützen, die der Askese ergeben sind—königlichen Reichtum in Nahrung für das geistige Leben und das Gemeinwohl zu verwandeln statt in persönlichen Genuss.

Word by Word

• ततः: then, thereafter
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• राजा: king
• राजा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रददौ: gave, bestowed
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तापसार्थम्: for the ascetics (for the sake of ascetics)
• तापसार्थम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तापस + अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• उपाहतान्: brought, presented (items brought)
• उपाहतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उप + आ + हृ (उपाहृत)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• कलशान्: pots, pitchers
• कलशान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• काञ्चनान्: golden
• काञ्चनान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: काञ्चन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तथा: likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• औदुम्बरान्: made of udumbara wood
• औदुम्बरान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: औदुम्बर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• tāpasa (ascetics)
• kalaśa (pitchers/vessels)
• kāñcana (gold)
• audumbara (copper vessels)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dāna as a practical expression of dharma: a ruler should convert prosperity into support for spiritual and communal welfare, honoring ascetics and sustaining disciplined life rather than hoarding wealth.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that the king distributes vessels that had been brought for ascetics—specifically golden and copper pitchers—indicating an organized act of giving in the forest-ascetic setting of the Āśramavāsika episode.