Shloka 231

Brāhmaṇa-pūjā, Haviḥ-dāna, and the Vāsudeva–Pṛthivī Saṃvāda

Chapter 34

Devanagari script

येषां त्रिवर्ग: कृत्येषु वर्तते नोपहीयते । शिष्टाचारप्रवृत्ताश्न॒ तान्‌ नमस्याम्यहं सदा

Transliteration

yeṣāṃ trivargaḥ kṛtyeṣu vartate nopahīyate | śiṣṭācāra-pravṛttāś ca tān namasyāmy ahaṃ sadā ||

Translation

Nārada dit : «Je m’incline toujours devant ceux chez qui les trois buts de la vie—dharma, artha et kāma—sont maintenus avec ardeur dans l’accomplissement des devoirs qui leur reviennent, sans jamais déchoir, et qui se conduisent selon les règles consacrées des hommes vertueux.»

Word by Word

• येषाम्: of whom / whose
• येषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: —, षष्ठी, बहुवचन

• त्रिवर्गः: the three aims (dharma-artha-kāma)
• त्रिवर्गः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: त्रिवर्ग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कृत्येषु: in duties / in what is to be done
• कृत्येषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, बहुवचन

• वर्तते: exists / is engaged / operates
• वर्तते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत् (वर्तते)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• उपहीयते: is not diminished / does not decline
• उपहीयते: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-हा (उपहीयते)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद, कर्मणि/भावे (passive-like usage)

• शिष्टाचारप्रवृत्तान्: those devoted to the conduct of the learned/virtuous
• शिष्टाचारप्रवृत्तान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शिष्टाचारप्रवृत्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• नमस्यामि: I bow to / I salute
• नमस्यामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: नमस् (नमस्यति)
• Form: लट् (वर्तमान), उत्तम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: —, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse praises those who sustain the trivarga—dharma (righteous duty), artha (legitimate prosperity), and kāma (rightful desire)—without letting it decline, and who live by śiṣṭācāra, the ethical norms exemplified by the virtuous; such people are worthy of continual reverence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada is speaking in a didactic context within the Anuśāsana Parva, offering a value-judgment: he expresses ongoing homage to exemplary persons whose life-goals and conduct remain aligned with duty and the standards of the good.