Shloka 8
ययातिपतन-कारणम् (The Cause of Yayāti’s Fall) — Nārada’s Counsel on Pride and Reconciliation
तदनन्तर क्षत्रियशिरोमणि प्रतर्दनने यह बात कही--“मैं जिस प्रकार सदा धर्ममें तत्पर रहा हूँ, सर्वदा न्याययुक्त युद्धमें संलग्न होता आया हूँ तथा संसारमें मैंने जो क्षत्रियवंशके अनुरूप यश एवं वीर शब्दके योग्य पुण्यफलका अर्जन किया है, उससे आप संयुक्त हों” ।।
tadanantaraṁ kṣatriya-śiromaṇi pratardanena iyaṁ bātā uktā— “ahaṁ yathā sadā dharme tatparaḥ, sarvadā nyāya-yukte yuddhe saṁlagnaḥ, tathā ca loke mayā kṣatriya-vaṁśasya anurūpaṁ yaśaḥ vīra-śabdasya yogyaṁ puṇya-phalaṁ ca arjitaṁ; tena tvam saṁyukto bhava” || śibir-auśīnaro dhīmān uvāca madhurāṁ giram | yathā bāleṣu nārīṣu vaihāryeṣu tathaiva ca |
After that, Pratardana—the jewel among kṣatriyas—spoke thus: “As I have ever been devoted to dharma, and have continually engaged in warfare joined with justice, so too in this world have I won the fame befitting a warrior lineage and the meritorious fruit worthy of the very name ‘hero’. May you be united with that merit.” Then the wise Śibi Auśīnara spoke in a gentle voice—just as one would speak among children, among women, and in matters of play and diversion as well.
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The passage links kṣatriya excellence to ethical constraints: true heroism is not mere fighting, but sustained commitment to dharma and participation only in war that is ‘nyāya-yukta’ (aligned with justice). Merit (puṇya) and fame (yaśas) are presented as legitimate fruits when action is governed by righteousness.
Nārada narrates a sequence in which Pratardana, praised as a foremost kṣatriya, declares his lifelong devotion to dharma and just warfare and offers the merit and renown he has earned. Immediately after, King Śibi Auśīnara responds with gentle, measured speech, described as the kind of tone used in non-confrontational settings (among children, women, and in playful contexts).