Shloka 6

ययातिपतन-कारणम् (The Cause of Yayāti’s Fall) — Nārada’s Counsel on Pride and Reconciliation

Devanagari script

ततः प्रतर्दनो5प्याह वाक्यं क्षत्रियपुड्रव: । यथा धर्मरतिर्नित्यं नित्यं युद्धपरायण:

Transliteration

tataḥ pratardano 'py āha vākyaṁ kṣatriyapuṅgavaḥ | yathā dharmaratir nityaṁ nityaṁ yuddhaparāyaṇaḥ ||

Translation

પછી ક્ષત્રિયપુંગવ પ્રતિર્દને પણ આ વચન કહ્યાં—“તે સદા ધર્મમાં રત રહે છે અને સદા યુદ્ધમાર્ગે પરાયણ રહે છે।”

Word by Word

ततःthen, thereafter

प्रतर्दनःPratardana (proper name)

अपिalso, even

आहsaid

वाक्यम्speech, statement

क्षत्रियपुङ्गवःbull/foremost among kshatriyas

यथाas, in such a way that

धर्मरतिःdelight/attachment in dharma

नित्यम्always, constantly

युद्धपरायणःdevoted to battle, intent on fighting

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Pratardana

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames the ideal kṣatriya character as a union of unwavering commitment to dharma and readiness for righteous battle—ethical steadfastness paired with the duty to fight when required.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within Nārada’s narration, Pratardana speaks, describing a warrior-king (or warrior ideal) as constantly devoted to dharma and consistently oriented toward battle, emphasizing the kṣatriya code in the lead-up to conflict.