Shloka 31

Brāhmaṇa-mahattva and Atithi-Dharma

Brahmagītā: Praise of Brāhmaṇas and norms of honor

Devanagari script

इस प्रकार श्रीमह्या भारत अनुशासनपरव्वके अन्तर्गत दानधर्मपर्वमें श्रीकृष्ण- नारदसंवादविषयक इकतीसवाँ अध्याय पूरा हुआ

Transliteration

amṛtenāvasiktaś ca vṛṣadarbho nareśvaraḥ | divyaiś ca susukhair mālyair abhivṛṣṭaḥ punaḥ punaḥ ||

Translation

Thus the king Vṛṣadarbha was bathed with nectar, and again and again he was showered with divine, exceedingly delightful garlands and flowers. The scene underscores how righteous generosity and dharma, praised in Nārada’s discourse, are honored by the gods themselves—virtue receiving visible, celestial recognition.

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'amṛta', 'definition': 'nectar of immortality

• divine ambrosia'}, {'term': 'avasikta', 'definition': 'sprinkled/bathed

• anointed'}, {'term': 'nareśvara', 'definition': 'lord of men

• king'}, {'term': 'divya', 'definition': 'divine

• celestial'}, {'term': 'susukha', 'definition': 'very pleasant

• highly delightful'}, {'term': 'mālya', 'definition': 'garland

• floral wreath (also flowers used for honoring)'}, {'term': 'abhivṛṣṭa', 'definition': 'rained upon

• showered over'}, {'term': 'punaḥ punaḥ', 'definition': 'again and again

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Vṛṣadarbha
• devas (gods)
• amṛta (nectar)
• divya-mālya (divine garlands/flowers)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That dāna and dharma, when practiced sincerely by a ruler, attract divine approval; merit is portrayed not only as an inner ethical gain but as something honored by the gods, reinforcing the social ideal of righteous kingship.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada describes a celestial honor: the gods bathe King Vṛṣadarbha with amṛta and repeatedly shower him with divine, pleasing garlands/flowers, marking him as a recipient of extraordinary merit.