Shloka 24

Nāga–Nāgabhāryā Saṃvāda: Varṇa-Dharma, Gṛhastha-Discipline, and Mokṣa-Self-Inquiry

Mahābhārata 12.347

Devanagari script

वराहपर्वते विप्र दत्त्वा पिण्डान्‌ सविस्तरान्‌ । आत्मानं पूजयित्वैव तत्रैवादर्शनं गत:

Transliteration

varāhapārvate vipra dattvā piṇḍān savistarān | ātmānaṃ pūjayitvaiva tatraivādarśanaṃ gataḥ ||

Translation

Nārada dit : «Ô brāhmaṇa, sur le mont Varāha, il offrit les boulettes de riz aux ancêtres (piṇḍa) avec toute la précision requise. Puis, après avoir vénéré son propre Soi comme la forme même des Pitṛ, il disparut en ce lieu même.»

Word by Word

• {'varāhapārvate': 'on Mount Varāha (locative singular)', 'vipra': 'O brāhmaṇa

• learned priest (vocative)', 'dattvā': 'having given/offered (absolutive of √dā)', 'piṇḍān': 'rice-balls offered to ancestors

• funerary/śrāddha offerings (accusative plural)', 'savistarān': 'in detail

• with full procedure (accusative plural agreeing with piṇḍān)', 'ātmānam': 'the Self

• himself (accusative singular)', 'pūjayitvā': 'having worshipped/honoured (absolutive of √pūj)', 'eva': 'indeed

• emphatic particle', 'tatra': 'there', 'tatraiva': 'right there

• in that very place', 'adarśanam': 'non-visibility

• going out of sight (accusative singular)', 'gataḥ': 'went

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Vipra (a brāhmaṇa addressee)
• Varāha (implied by Varāha-mountain context)
• Varāha-parvata (Mount Varāha)
• Piṇḍa (ancestral offering)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links ritual duty (offering piṇḍas to the ancestors) with higher insight: the divine Self is the underlying reality of all beings, including the pitṛs. Proper action performed with understanding culminates in recognizing unity behind lineage and obligation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada narrates that at Mount Varāha, the divine figure performs an elaborate piṇḍa-offering rite, then worships his own Self as the ancestors, and immediately disappears from that spot.