Shloka 28
Akṣa-hṛdaya-dāna and Phalāśruti of the Nalopākhyāna (अक्षहृदयदानम् / नलोपाख्यान-फलश्रुतिः)
कीर्तिरस्तु तवाक्षय्या जीव वर्षशतं सुखी । यो मे वितरसि प्राणानधिष्ठानं च पार्थिव,राजन्! निषधराजके इस प्रकार सान्त्वना देनेपर पुष्करने पुण्यश्लोक नलको हाथ जोड़कर प्रणाम किया और इस प्रकार कहा--'पृथ्वीनाथ! आप जो मुझे प्राण और निवासस्थान भी वापस दे रहे हैं, इससे आपकी अक्षय कीर्ति बनी रहे। आप सौ वर्षोंतक जीयें और सुखी रहें"
kīrtir astu tavākṣayyā jīva varṣaśataṃ sukhī | yo me vitarasi prāṇān adhiṣṭhānaṃ ca pārthiva rājann ||
May your fame be imperishable. Live happily for a hundred years. O king, O lord of the earth—since you restore to me my very life and also a place of refuge and residence, may this act of gracious protection secure for you undying renown.
बृहदश्चव उवाच
Educational Q&A
A righteous ruler’s compassion—restoring life and shelter to one in distress—creates enduring kīrti (imperishable fame). The verse frames ethical kingship as protection and generosity, worthy of blessings.
In the course of Bṛhadaśva’s narration, a king is addressed with a blessing: because he has restored the speaker’s life and provided a place to stay, he is wished imperishable fame and a long, happy life.