Shloka 38
Nakula’s Counsel on Yajña, Dāna, and Tyāga (नकुलोपदेशः—यज्ञदानत्यागविचारः)
क्षात्रेण धर्मेण पराक्रमेण जित्वा महीं मन्त्रविद्भ्य: प्रदाय । नाकस्य पृष्ठेडसि नरेन्द्र गन्ता न शोचितव्यं भवताद्य पार्थ
kṣātreṇa dharmeṇa parākrameṇa jitvā mahīṃ mantravidbhyaḥ pradāya | nākasya pṛṣṭheḍasi narendra gantā na śocitavyaṃ bhavatā'dya pārtha ||
Nakula dit : «Après avoir conquis la terre par le dharma du guerrier et par la vaillance, puis l’avoir remise à ceux qui sont versés dans le conseil et le savoir sacré, ô roi, tu iras au faîte du ciel. Ainsi, ô Pārtha, tu ne dois pas t’affliger aujourd’hui.»
नकुल उवाच
Educational Q&A
Nakula links righteous kingship to two ethical pillars: (1) victory gained through kṣatriya-dharma and courage, and (2) non-attachment expressed through giving the conquered realm to the wise. Such action, combining duty with generosity/renunciation, is presented as a path to heavenly merit; hence grief is discouraged.
Nakula addresses a king—calling him both ‘narendra’ and ‘Pārtha’—to console him. He argues that after fulfilling warrior-duty in conquest and then relinquishing the fruits by gifting the earth to learned counselors/Brahmins, the king is destined for heaven, so present sorrow is inappropriate.