Shloka 12
Yama-vilāpana
The Lamentation Concerning Yama
यस्य न स्फुरते कीर्तिर्घनस्थेव शतह्रदा । यः पितुर्नोद्धरेत्पक्षं विद्यया वा बलेन वा ॥ १२ ॥
yasya na sphurate kīrtirghanastheva śatahradā | yaḥ piturnoddharetpakṣaṃ vidyayā vā balena vā || 12 ||
One whose fame does not shine forth—like lightning hidden within a cloud—and who does not raise up his father’s “wing” (his family’s standing) either through learning or through strength, is deemed unaccomplished.
Narada (didactic statement within the Uttara-Bhaga discourse)
Vrata: none
Primary Rasa: vira
Secondary Rasa: shanta
FAQs
It teaches that a life gains spiritual weight when one’s virtues become evident in the world and when one supports and elevates one’s lineage through dharmic excellence—especially through learning (vidyā) or disciplined strength (bala).
Indirectly, it frames bhakti as something that should become visible through character and service: devotion is not merely internal sentiment but must ‘shine’ as kīrti—reputation born of dharmic conduct that benefits one’s family and society.
The verse highlights vidyā as a means of uplift—pointing broadly to disciplined learning such as Vyākaraṇa (grammar) and other Vedāṅgas that refine speech, conduct, and competence, making one’s merit publicly manifest.