Shloka 7

अध्याय ३३१: नारायणकथा-प्रशंसा तथा नारदस्य श्वेतद्वीप-निवृत्ति एवं बदरी-आगमनम् | Chapter 331: Praise of the Nārāyaṇa Narrative; Nārada’s Return from Śvetadvīpa and Arrival at Badarī

Devanagari script

नार्थों न धर्मो न यशो यो5तीतमनुशोचति । अप्यभावेन युज्येत तच्चास्य न निवर्तते,जो बीती बातके लिये शोक करता है, उसे न तो अर्थकी प्राप्ति होती है न धर्मकी और न यशकी ही प्राप्ति होती है। वह उसके अभावका अनुभव करके केवल दु:ख ही उठाता है। उससे अभाव दूर नहीं होता

Transliteration

nārtho na dharmo na yaśo yo ’tītam anuśocati | apy abhāvena yujyeta tac cāsya na nivartate ||

Translation

Nārada said: One who grieves over what has already passed gains neither wealth, nor dharma, nor good repute. Even if he is joined only to the experience of loss, he merely suffers; that absence does not, by such lamentation, come to an end.

Word by Word

नnot

अर्थःwealth/benefit

नnot

धर्मःdharma/righteousness

नnot

यशःfame

यःwho (he who)

अतीतम्past/elapsed

अनुशोचतिgrieves over

अपिeven/also

अभावेनby/with absence, by want

युज्येतwould be joined/connected (would only meet with)

तत्that (i.e., that absence)

चand

अस्यof him

नnot

निवर्ततेceases/turns back (is not removed)

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Lamenting over the irretrievable past is unproductive: it does not restore what is lost and it undermines the pursuit of artha (well-being), dharma (right conduct), and yaśas (honor). The wise response is to accept what cannot be changed and act rightly in the present.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Nārada delivers counsel meant to steady the listener’s mind: he warns that grief fixated on past events yields only suffering and does not remove the condition of loss.