Shloka 7

Adhyāya 325: Nārada in Śvetadvīpa—Stotra to the Nirguṇa Mahātman

Devanagari script

पितुर्नियोगमादाय जगाम मिथिलां नृप । प्रष्टें धर्मस्य निष्ठां वै मोक्षस्य च परायणम्‌,नरेश्वर! पिताकी आज्ञा पाकर शुकदेवजी धर्मकी निष्ठा और मोक्षका परम आश्रय पूछनेके लिये मिथिलाकी ओर चल दिये

Transliteration

pitur niyogam ādāya jagāma mithilāṁ nṛpa | praṣṭuṁ dharmasya niṣṭhāṁ vai mokṣasya ca parāyaṇam ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “Having accepted his father’s command, he set out for Mithilā, O king, to inquire into steadfastness in dharma and the supreme refuge that leads to liberation.”

Word by Word

• पितुः: of (his) father
• पितुः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• नियोगम्: command, injunction
• नियोगम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नियोग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आदाय: having taken/accepted
• आदाय: Kriya-vishesana
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + दा
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund), Non-finite

• जगाम: went
• जगाम: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मिथिलाम्: to Mithilā
• मिथिलाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मिथिला
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• नृप: O king
• नृप: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• प्रष्टुम्: to ask
• प्रष्टुम्: Prayojana
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + शस्/शंस् (प्रच्छ्-आदेशः)
• Form: तुमुन् (infinitive), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for infinitive), Non-finite

• धर्मस्य: of dharma
• धर्मस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• निष्ठाम्: steadfastness, firm basis
• निष्ठाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्ठा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• मोक्षस्य: of liberation
• मोक्षस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोक्ष
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• परायणम्: supreme refuge/goal
• परायणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: परायण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• नर-ईश्वर: O lord of men (king)
• नर-ईश्वर: Sambodhana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरेश्वर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• nṛpa (the king addressed, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Mithilā
• pitā (father)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights two ethical priorities: honoring a rightful parental injunction and seeking clarity on dharma’s firm grounding and mokṣa as the highest refuge—suggesting that disciplined duty and sincere inquiry are gateways to liberation-oriented wisdom.

What is happening in the narrative?

A seeker, having received his father’s instruction, travels to Mithilā to question learned authorities about how one becomes firmly established in dharma and what constitutes the ultimate support or goal leading to mokṣa.