Shloka 20
Nāmānirukta of Nārāyaṇa (Keśava–Viṣṇu–Vāsudeva) and the Rudra–Nārāyaṇa Unity Theme
नारद उवाच अनाम्नायमला वेदा ब्राह्मणस्याव्रतं मलम् । मलं॑ पृथिव्या वाहीका: स्त्रीणां कौतूहलं मलम्
nārada uvāca | anāmnāyamala vedā brāhmaṇasyāvrataṃ malam | malaṃ pṛthivyā vāhīkāḥ strīṇāṃ kautūhalaṃ malam |
Narada dit : «Pour les Veda, la souillure est de ne pas les réciter et de négliger l’étude ; pour un brahmane, la souillure est l’absence de vœux et de discipline. Pour la terre, les Vāhīka sont un opprobre ; et pour les femmes, une curiosité agitée est un opprobre.»
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ‘mala’ (blemish) as neglect of one’s proper discipline: sacred knowledge decays without regular recitation; a Brahmin’s role is compromised without vows and regulated conduct; and it warns against traits seen as socially disruptive (here, stereotyped as curiosity in women), emphasizing restraint and steadiness as ethical ideals.
In the Shanti Parva’s didactic setting, Narada delivers aphoristic moral observations. This verse is part of a list-like instruction where he identifies what counts as a ‘stain’ for different domains (scripture, social role, the world), aiming to sharpen the listener’s sense of dharma through concise contrasts.