Shloka 18

Nārada’s Darśana of Viśvarūpa Nārāyaṇa and the Caturmūrti Doctrine (नारदस्य नारायणदर्शनं चतुर्मूर्तिविचारश्च)

Devanagari script

उत्पाद्य पुत्रपौत्रं तु वन्याश्रमपदे वसेत्‌ । तानेवाग्नीन्‌ यथाशास्त्रमर्चयन्नतिथिप्रिय:

Transliteration

janaka uvāca | utpādya putrapautraṃ tu vanyāśramapade vaset | tānevāgnīn yathāśāstram arcayann atithipriyaḥ |

Translation

जनक बोले—“पुत्र और पौत्र उत्पन्न करके, पुत्र को गार्हस्थ्य-धर्म का भार सौंपकर, वन में जाकर वानप्रस्थ-आश्रम में रहे। वहाँ भी शास्त्र-विधि के अनुसार उन्हीं गार्हपत्य आदि अग्नियों की आराधना करता रहे और अतिथियों से प्रेमपूर्वक सत्कार करे।”

Word by Word

• {'janaka uvāca': 'Janaka said', 'utpādya': 'having produced, having begotten', 'putra-pautram': 'sons and grandsons (offspring across generations)', 'tu': 'indeed, then, but (emphatic/contrastive particle)', 'vanya-āśrama-pade': 'in the station/condition of the forest-āśrama

• the vānaprastha stage', 'vaset': 'should dwell, should live', 'tān eva': 'those very (same ones)', 'agnīn': 'sacred fires', 'yathā-śāstram': 'according to the śāstra

• as enjoined by scripture', 'arcayan': 'worshipping, honoring, tending (especially with ritual care)', 'atithi-priyaḥ': 'one who is fond of guests

Speaker

जनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janaka
• sons (putra)
• grandsons (pautra)
• vānaprastha/forest-āśrama
• sacred fires (agni), especially gārhapatya etc.
• guests (atithi)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches orderly progression through the āśramas: after establishing lineage and transferring household responsibility to the next generation, one may enter vānaprastha, yet should not abandon dharma—continuing scripturally prescribed fire-rites and maintaining exemplary hospitality to guests.

What is happening in the narrative?

King Janaka is describing the conduct of a person who has completed key householder obligations (raising sons/grandsons and handing over domestic duties) and then lives as a forest-dweller, still tending the sacred fires according to śāstra and honoring guests.