Shloka 7
Nārāyaṇasya Guhya-nāmāni Niruktāni (Etymologies of Nārāyaṇa’s Secret Epithets) / नारायणस्य गुह्यनामानि निरुक्तानि
निवृत्ति: कर्मण: पापात् सततं पुण्यशीलता । सद्वृत्ति: समुदाचार: श्रेय एतदनुत्तमम्
nivṛttiḥ karmaṇaḥ pāpāt satataṁ puṇyaśīlatā | sadvṛttiḥ samudācāraḥ śreya etad anuttamam ||
पापकर्मों से दूर रहना, सदा पुण्यकर्मों का अनुष्ठान करना, श्रेष्ठ पुरुषों के-से बर्ताव और सदाचार का पालन करना—यही सर्वोत्तम श्रेय (कल्याण) का साधन है।
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse defines the highest welfare (śreyas) as a threefold discipline: abstaining from sinful deeds, consistently practicing meritorious actions, and aligning one’s behavior with the established good conduct and customs of the virtuous.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction-oriented setting, Nārada speaks as a moral teacher, summarizing practical markers of dharma—what to avoid (pāpa), what to cultivate (puṇya), and how to live (sadācāra)—as guidance for right living.