Shloka 17

ययातिपतन-कारणम् (The Cause of Yayāti’s Fall) — Nārada’s Counsel on Pride and Reconciliation

Devanagari script

दौहित्रा: स्वेन धर्मेण यज्ञदानकृतेन वै । चतुर्षु राजवंशेषु सम्भूता: कुलवर्धना: । मातामहं महाप्राज्ञं दिवमारोपयन्त ते

Transliteration

dauhitrāḥ svena dharmeṇa yajñadānakṛtena vai | caturṣu rājavaṃśeṣu sambhūtāḥ kulavardhanāḥ | mātāmahaṃ mahāprājñaṃ divam āropayanta te ||

Translation

Those grandsons (born of his daughters), who became increasers of their line, were born into four royal dynasties. By the merit of their own dharma—earned through sacrifices and gifts—they raised their supremely wise maternal grandsire (Yayāti) up to heaven.

Word by Word

• {'dauhitrāḥ': 'daughters’ sons

• grandsons through the daughter (maternal grandsons)', 'svena': 'by their own', 'dharmeṇa': 'by dharma

• by religious merit and righteous conduct', 'yajña': 'sacrifice

• Vedic rite', 'dāna': 'gift

• charitable giving', 'kṛtena': 'done, performed

• produced by', 'vai': 'indeed

• emphatic particle', 'caturṣu': 'in four', 'rāja-vaṃśeṣu': 'royal lineages/dynasties', 'sambhūtāḥ': 'born, arisen', 'kula-vardhanāḥ': 'increasers of the family/lineage

• those who enhance the clan', 'mātāmaham': 'maternal grandfather', 'mahāprājñam': 'greatly wise

• of superior intelligence', 'divam': 'heaven

• the celestial world (svarga)', 'āropayantaḥ/āropayanta': 'they caused to ascend

• they raised (to a higher realm)', 'te': 'they'}

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Yayāti
• dauhitrāḥ (Yayāti’s maternal grandsons)
• diva/svarga (heaven)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Merit gained through dharma—especially sacrifice (yajña) and generosity (dāna)—has transformative power: it elevates not only the doer but can also benefit elders and ancestors, reinforcing the ethical ideal that righteous action sustains both family and cosmic order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada describes Yayāti’s descendants: his daughters’ sons were born into four royal lineages and became enhancers of their clans. Through their own accumulated religious merit from sacrifices and gifts, they enabled their maternal grandfather Yayāti to attain heaven.