Shloka 1
Nābhāga’s Inheritance, Śiva’s Verdict, and the Rise of Ambarīṣa—Prelude to Durvāsā’s Offense
श्रीशुक उवाच नाभागो नभगापत्यं यं ततं भ्रातर: कविम् । यविष्ठं व्यभजन् दायं ब्रह्मचारिणमागतम् ॥ १ ॥
śrī-śuka uvāca nābhāgo nabhagāpatyaṁ yaṁ tataṁ bhrātaraḥ kavim yaviṣṭhaṁ vyabhajan dāyaṁ brahmacāriṇam āgatam
Śukadeva Gosvāmī said: Nābhāga, the son of Nabhaga, stayed for a long time at his spiritual master’s abode. Thinking he would not become a householder and would not return, his brothers divided their father’s property among themselves without setting aside a share for him. When Nābhāga came back from the gurukula as a brahmacārī, they gave him their father as his portion.
There are two kinds of brahmacārīs. One may return home, marry and become a householder, whereas the other, known as bṛhad-vrata, takes a vow to remain a brahmacārī perpetually. The bṛhad-vrata brahmacārī does not return from the place of the spiritual master; he stays there, and later he directly takes sannyāsa. Because Nābhāga did not return from the place of his spiritual master, his brothers thought that he had taken bṛhadvrata-brahmacarya. Therefore, they did not preserve his share, and when he returned they gave him their father as his share.
FAQs
This verse introduces how Nabhāga’s brothers divided the family inheritance while he was away in brahmacarya, setting up a discussion on rightful share, fairness, and dharma.
Because he had gone away as a brahmacārī and returned later; by then, his brothers had already apportioned the property, treating him as absent from the division.
The verse shows that choosing disciplined spiritual life can change one’s worldly circumstances; a devotee can learn to prioritize dharma and wisdom over entitlement and resentment.