Shloka 81

Nāgendra–Brāhmaṇa Saṃvāda: Praśna-vidhi and Dharmic Approach on the Gomatī Riverbank

Devanagari script

नारायणपरा वेदा यज्ञा नारायणात्मका: | तपो नारायणपरं नारायणपरा गति:

Transliteration

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | nārāyaṇaparā vedā yajñā nārāyaṇātmakāḥ | tapo nārāyaṇaparaṃ nārāyaṇaparā gatiḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana sprach: Die Veden haben Nārāyaṇa als ihr höchstes Ziel; die Opfer sind ihrem Wesen nach Nārāyaṇa. Die Askese findet ihre höchste Frucht in Nārāyaṇa, und die höchste Bestimmung ist das Erreichen Nārāyaṇas.

Word by Word

• नारायणपरा: having Narayana as the highest (devoted to Narayana)
• नारायणपरा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नारायण-पर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वेदाः: the Vedas
• वेदाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यज्ञाः: sacrifices
• यज्ञाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नारायणात्मकाः: whose essence/nature is Narayana
• नारायणात्मकाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नारायण-आत्मक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• नारायणपरम्: having Narayana as the highest (aimed at Narayana)
• नारायणपरम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नारायण-पर
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• नारायणपरा: having Narayana as the highest
• नारायणपरा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नारायण-पर
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• गतिः: goal, highest course, refuge
• गतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśaṃpāyana
• Nārāyaṇa
• Vedas
• Yajña (sacrifice)
• Tapaḥ (austerity)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

All authoritative paths—scriptural knowledge (Veda), ritual action (yajña), and disciplined austerity (tapas)—reach their fulfillment when directed to Nārāyaṇa; the supreme good (parama-gati) is union with or attainment of Him.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic discourse of the Śānti Parva, Vaiśaṃpāyana summarizes a devotional conclusion: the ultimate purport of religious duties and spiritual practices is Nārāyaṇa, presenting a unifying theistic frame for dharma after the war.