Shloka 81

Nāgendra–Brāhmaṇa Saṃvāda: Praśna-vidhi and Dharmic Approach on the Gomatī Riverbank

Devanagari script

नारायणपरा वेदा यज्ञा नारायणात्मका: | तपो नारायणपरं नारायणपरा गति:,वेदोंका पर्यवसान भगवान्‌ नारायणमें ही है। यज्ञ नारायणके ही स्वरूप हैं। तपस्याके परम फल भगवान्‌ नारायण ही हैं तथा नारायणकी प्राप्ति ही सर्वोत्तम गति है

Transliteration

vaiśaṃpāyana uvāca | nārāyaṇaparā vedā yajñā nārāyaṇātmakāḥ | tapo nārāyaṇaparaṃ nārāyaṇaparā gatiḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: The Vedas have Nārāyaṇa as their highest end; sacrifices are of the very nature of Nārāyaṇa. Austerity finds its supreme fruit in Nārāyaṇa, and the highest destination is attainment of Nārāyaṇa.

Word by Word

नारायणपराhaving Narayana as the highest (devoted to Narayana)

वेदाःthe Vedas

यज्ञाःsacrifices

नारायणात्मकाःwhose essence/nature is Narayana

तपःausterity, penance

नारायणपरम्having Narayana as the highest (aimed at Narayana)

नारायणपराhaving Narayana as the highest

गतिःgoal, highest course, refuge

Speaker

वैशग्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśaṃpāyana

Nārāyaṇa

Vedas

Yajña (sacrifice)

Tapaḥ (austerity)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

All authoritative paths—scriptural knowledge (Veda), ritual action (yajña), and disciplined austerity (tapas)—reach their fulfillment when directed to Nārāyaṇa; the supreme good (parama-gati) is union with or attainment of Him.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the didactic discourse of the Śānti Parva, Vaiśaṃpāyana summarizes a devotional conclusion: the ultimate purport of religious duties and spiritual practices is Nārāyaṇa, presenting a unifying theistic frame for dharma after the war.