Shloka 18

Nārada’s Darśana of Viśvarūpa Nārāyaṇa and the Caturmūrti Doctrine (नारदस्य नारायणदर्शनं चतुर्मूर्तिविचारश्च)

Devanagari script

उत्पाद्य पुत्रपौत्रं तु वन्याश्रमपदे वसेत्‌ । तानेवाग्नीन्‌ यथाशास्त्रमर्चयन्नतिथिप्रिय:

Transliteration

janaka uvāca | utpādya putrapautraṃ tu vanyāśramapade vaset | tānevāgnīn yathāśāstram arcayann atithipriyaḥ |

Translation

Janaka dit : «Après avoir engendré fils et petits-fils, on doit demeurer dans l’étape du forestier (vānaprastha). Même alors, selon la règle des Écritures, il faut continuer d’honorer ces mêmes feux domestiques (tels que le gārhapatya) et, ami des hôtes, les accueillir et les servir avec une hospitalité empreinte d’affection.»

Word by Word

• {'janaka uvāca': 'Janaka said', 'utpādya': 'having produced, having begotten', 'putra-pautram': 'sons and grandsons (offspring across generations)', 'tu': 'indeed, then, but (emphatic/contrastive particle)', 'vanya-āśrama-pade': 'in the station/condition of the forest-āśrama

• the vānaprastha stage', 'vaset': 'should dwell, should live', 'tān eva': 'those very (same ones)', 'agnīn': 'sacred fires', 'yathā-śāstram': 'according to the śāstra

• as enjoined by scripture', 'arcayan': 'worshipping, honoring, tending (especially with ritual care)', 'atithi-priyaḥ': 'one who is fond of guests

Speaker

जनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janaka
• sons (putra)
• grandsons (pautra)
• vānaprastha/forest-āśrama
• sacred fires (agni), especially gārhapatya etc.
• guests (atithi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches orderly progression through the āśramas: after establishing lineage and transferring household responsibility to the next generation, one may enter vānaprastha, yet should not abandon dharma—continuing scripturally prescribed fire-rites and maintaining exemplary hospitality to guests.

What is happening in the narrative?

King Janaka is describing the conduct of a person who has completed key householder obligations (raising sons/grandsons and handing over domestic duties) and then lives as a forest-dweller, still tending the sacred fires according to śāstra and honoring guests.