Shloka 12

ययातेर्वानप्रस्थतपःस्वर्गारोहणम् | Yayāti’s Vānaprastha Austerities and Ascent to Heaven

Devanagari script

देवयान्युवाच सर्व एव नरश्रेष्ठ विधानमनुवर्तते । विधानविदितं मत्वा मा विचित्रा: कथा: कृथा:,देवयानी बोली--नरश्रेष्ठी सब लोग दैवके विधानका ही अनुसरण करते हैं। इसे भी भाग्यका विधान मानकर संतोष कीजिये। इस विषयकी विचित्र घटनाओंको न पूछिये

Transliteration

Devayāny uvāca: sarva eva naraśreṣṭha vidhānam anuvartate | vidhāna-viditaṁ matvā mā vicitrāḥ kathāḥ kṛthāḥ ||

Translation

Devayānī said: “O best of men, everyone indeed follows the ordinance of fate. Knowing this to be the settled dispensation, do not spin strange conjectures or probing questions about these events; accept them as destiny’s arrangement and be at peace.”

Word by Word

देवयानीDevayānī

उवाचsaid

सर्वेall

एवindeed/only

नरश्रेष्ठO best of men

विधानम्ordinance/dispensation (fate's decree)

अनुवर्ततेfollows/acts in accordance with

विधानविदितम्known/recognized as (the) dispensation

मत्वाhaving considered/knowing

माdo not

विचित्राःstrange/variegated

कथाःstories/talks/questions

कृथाःmake/do (i.e., ask/raise)

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Devayānī

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes acceptance of the larger dispensation (vidhāna/daiva): human beings move within an ordained order, so one should not agitate the mind with speculative or sensational narratives, but cultivate composure and ethical steadiness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Devayānī counsels the addressed person (naraśreṣṭha) to treat the unfolding, seemingly unusual events as the working of fate’s ordinance and to refrain from pressing for or inventing ‘strange’ explanations, urging calm acceptance.