Shloka 12

Devanagari script

कर्तव्यो न च संतापो गम्यतां च यथागतम्‌ । तन्निमित्तमिदं सर्व नैतद्‌ भेत्तुमिहाहथ,आपलोगोंको इसके लिये संताप नहीं करना चाहिये। आप जैसे आये हैं, वैसे ही घर लौट जाइये। नागराजके दर्शनके लिये ही मेरा यह सारा व्रत और नियम है। अतः आपलोग इसे भंग न करें

Transliteration

kartavyo na ca santāpo gamyatāṃ ca yathāgatam | tannimittam idaṃ sarvaṃ naitad bhettum ihārhatha ||

Translation

„Es gibt keinen Grund zur Trauer; tut, was getan werden muss, und kehrt heim, so wie ihr gekommen seid. Diese ganze Observanz und Zucht habe ich um eben dieses Ziel willen auf mich genommen — den Nāga-König zu schauen. Darum sollt ihr sie hier nicht brechen oder stören.“

Word by Word

कर्तव्यःto be done / should be done

नnot

चand

संतापःgrief / distress

गम्यताम्let (one) go / one should go

चand

यथाas / just as

आगतम्come / arrived

तत्that

निमित्तम्cause / purpose

इदम्this

सर्वम्all / entire

नnot

एतत्this (thing)

भेत्तुम्to break / to violate

इहhere

अहथdo (it) / (you) should (do); here: (you) should not break

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

ब

ब्राह्मण (a Brahmin speaker)

न

नागराज (Nāga-king)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Do not indulge in needless distress; fulfill one’s proper duty and avoid obstructing another person’s dharmic observance. Respect for vows (vrata) and disciplined purpose is presented as an ethical obligation.

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brahmin addresses others who have come to him, telling them not to grieve and to return as they arrived. He explains that his entire regimen of vows and rules is aimed at obtaining the sight of the Nāga-king, and he asks them not to disrupt that observance.