Shloka 42

Phala of Vrata, Niyama, Svādhyāya, Dama, Satya, Brahmacarya, and Service (व्रत-नियम-स्वाध्याय-दम-सत्य-ब्रह्मचर्य-शुश्रूषा-फलप्रश्नः)

Devanagari script

एवमेतानि मे तत्र धर्मराजो न्यदर्शयत्‌ | दृष्टवा च परमं हर्षमवापमहमच्युत

Transliteration

evam etāni me tatra dharmarājo nyadarśayat | dṛṣṭvā ca paramaṃ harṣam avāpam aham acyuta |

Translation

Naciketas dit : «Ainsi, dans ce royaume, le Roi Dharma me montra toutes ces demeures. Les ayant vues, je fus rempli de la joie la plus haute—ô vénérable, toi qui ne t’écartes jamais du dharma.»

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• एतानि: these (things/places)
• एतानि: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• मे: to me / of me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Dative/Genitive, Singular

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र

• धर्मराजः: Dharmaraja (Yudhishthira)
• धर्मराजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मराज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नि: down/into; (preverb of the verb)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नि

• अदर्शयत्: showed
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दृष्ट्वा: having seen
• Type: Verb
• Root: दृश्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive), Parasmaipada (usage)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• परमम्: supreme, great
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• हर्षम्: joy, delight
• हर्षम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हर्ष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अवापम्: I obtained
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• अच्युत: O Achyuta (Krishna)
• Type: Noun (epithet)
• Root: अच्युत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

नाचिकेत उवाच

Characters & Entities

• नाचिकेत (Naciketas)
• धर्मराज (Dharmaraja/Yama)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic instruction through direct vision: the lord of righteousness reveals the ordered consequences and stations of existence, and the seeker’s proper response is reverent joy and moral clarity rather than fear or confusion.

What is happening in the narrative?

Naciketas reports that Dharmaraja (Yama) personally shows him various places/abodes in that realm; after witnessing them, Naciketas experiences profound joy and addresses the revered, unwavering figure with respect.