Shloka 12
यस्य न स्फुरते कीर्तिर्घनस्थेव शतह्रदा । यः पितुर्नोद्धरेत्पक्षं विद्यया वा बलेन वा ॥ १२ ॥
yasya na sphurate kīrtirghanastheva śatahradā | yaḥ piturnoddharetpakṣaṃ vidyayā vā balena vā || 12 ||
Celui dont la renommée ne brille pas—tel l’éclair caché dans l’épais nuage—et qui n’élève pas l’« aile » de son père, c’est-à-dire la dignité de sa lignée, ni par le savoir ni par la force, est tenu pour inachevé.
Narada (didactic statement within the Uttara-Bhaga discourse)
Vrata: none
Rasa: {"primary_rasa":"vira","secondary_rasa":"shanta","emotional_journey":"Moves from an image of suppressed brilliance (lightning hidden in cloud) to a calm but firm exhortation: manifest excellence and uplift one’s lineage through learning or strength."}
FAQs
It teaches that a life gains spiritual weight when one’s virtues become evident in the world and when one supports and elevates one’s lineage through dharmic excellence—especially through learning (vidyā) or disciplined strength (bala).
Indirectly, it frames bhakti as something that should become visible through character and service: devotion is not merely internal sentiment but must ‘shine’ as kīrti—reputation born of dharmic conduct that benefits one’s family and society.
The verse highlights vidyā as a means of uplift—pointing broadly to disciplined learning such as Vyākaraṇa (grammar) and other Vedāṅgas that refine speech, conduct, and competence, making one’s merit publicly manifest.