Shloka 4
नारदेन दिव्यसभाः कथितुं प्रतिज्ञा
Nārada’s Prelude to Describing the Divine Assemblies
वयं तु सत्पथथं तेषां यातुमिच्छामहे प्रभो । न तु शक््यं तथा गन्तुं यथा तैर्नियतात्मभि:
vayaṃ tu satpathaṃ teṣāṃ yātum icchāmahe prabho | na tu śakyaṃ tathā gantuṃ yathā tair niyatātmabhiḥ ||
प्रभो! हम भी उन्हीं के सत्पथ पर चलना चाहते हैं; परन्तु जैसे वे संयमित आत्मा महापुरुष चला करते थे, वैसे चल पाना हमारे लिए सम्भव नहीं।
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse highlights moral aspiration joined with humility: one may sincerely wish to follow the righteous path of exemplary, self-disciplined elders, yet recognize one’s present limitations. It implies that dharma is not merely admired but practiced through inner restraint (niyata-ātman), which is difficult and requires cultivation.
Yudhiṣṭhira addresses a respected superior (“prabho”), expressing that he and his companions desire to walk the same noble course as earlier great, self-controlled men, but find themselves unable to match that standard in practice.