Shloka 30

Vidura’s Message to Dhṛtarāṣṭra: Authorization for Dāna and Public Welfare (विदुरवाक्यम्—दानानुज्ञा)

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच यदृच्छया शक्रसदो गत्वा शक्रं शचीपतिम्‌ । दृष्टवानस्मि राजर्षे तत्र पाण्डंं नराधिपम्‌

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | yadṛcchayā śakrasadaḥ gatvā śakraṃ śacīpatim | dṛṣṭavān asmi rājarṣe tatra pāṇḍuṃ narādhipam |

Translation

Nārada said: O royal sage, once, while wandering by divine chance, I went to the assembly-hall of Indra and met Indra, the lord of Śacī. There I also saw King Pāṇḍu, the ruler among men.

Word by Word

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular

• यदृच्छया: by chance; spontaneously
• यदृच्छया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यदृच्छा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• शक्रसदः: the assembly/hall of Shakra (Indra)
• शक्रसदः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्रसद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• गत्वा: having gone
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), Active

• शक्रम्: Shakra (Indra)
• शक्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शक्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• शचीपतिम्: the husband of Shachi (Indra)
• शचीपतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शचीपति
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दृष्टवान्: saw; having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्तवतु (past active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अस्मि: I am (auxiliary with दृष्टवान् = 'I have seen')
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present, 1st, Singular

• राजर्षे: O royal sage
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजर्षि
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• पाण्डुम्: Pandu
• पाण्डुम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाण्डु
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• नराधिपम्: king; lord of men
• नराधिपम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नराधिप
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Śakra (Indra)
• Śacī
• Indraloka (implied by Śakrasadaḥ)
• Pāṇḍu

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores providence and the reality of higher worlds in the epic’s moral universe: by divine dispensation (yadṛcchayā), a sage gains direct witness of celestial order and the posthumous status of kings, reinforcing that deeds and dharma connect human life with divine realms.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada reports to a royal sage that he happened to visit Indra’s assembly in Indraloka, met Indra (Śacī’s lord), and there saw King Pāṇḍu—introducing eyewitness testimony about Pāṇḍu’s presence in the celestial domain.