Shloka 3
Omens and Consolation after Loss; Reaffirmation of the Saindhava Punishment Vow (उत्पात-दर्शनम्, आश्वासन-वाक्यानि, प्रतिज्ञा-स्थैर्यम्)
बिभेम्यहमधर्माद्धि प्रसीद भगवन् प्रभो । प्रियान् पुत्रान् वयस्यांश्व भ्रातृन् मातृ: पितृन् पतीन्
bibhemy aham adharmād dhi prasīda bhagavan prabho | priyān putrān vayasyāṁś ca bhrātṝn mātṝḥ pitṝn patīn |
Nārada said: “I am truly afraid of adharma. Be gracious, O Blessed Lord, O Master—(for the sake of) dear ones: sons, companions of the same age, brothers, mothers, fathers, and husbands.”
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse foregrounds fear of adharma as a moral compass: when righteousness is threatened, one seeks divine or higher guidance, mindful that adharma harms not only oneself but also one’s closest relations and the social fabric.
Nārada speaks in a tone of urgent supplication, confessing his fear of unrighteousness and pleading for the Lord’s favor, invoking the vulnerability of loved ones—children, peers, siblings, parents, and spouses—as those most affected by moral disorder.