Shloka 1

Devanagari script

भीकम (2 अमान एकोनचत्वारिशोड ध्याय: राजा युधिष्ठिरद्वारा धृतराष्ट्र गान्धारी और कुन्ती--इन तीनोंकी हड्डियोंको गज्जममें प्रवाहित कराना तथा श्राद्धकर्म करना नारद उवाच नासौ वृथाग्निना दग्धो यथा तत्र श्रुतं मया । वैचित्रवीर्यो नृपतिस्तत्‌ ते वक्ष्यामि सुव्रत,नारदजीने कहा--उत्तम व्रतका पालन करनेवाले नरेश! विचित्रवीर्यकुमार राजा धृतराष्ट्रका दाह व्यर्थ (लौकिक) अग्निसे नहीं हुआ है। इस विषयमें मैंने वहाँ जैसा सुना था, वह सब तुम्हें बाताऊँगा

Transliteration

nāsau vṛthāgninā dagdho yathā tatra śrutaṃ mayā | vaicitravīryo nṛpatistad te vakṣyāmi suvrata ||

Translation

ナーラダは言った。「堅き誓いを守る王よ、ヴィチトラヴィーリヤの王子—ドリタラーシュトラ—は、世俗の火によってむなしく火葬されたのではない。この件について、私がそこで聞いたとおりを、余すところなく語ろう。」

Word by Word

नnot

असौthat (person), he

वृथाin vain, uselessly

अग्निनाby fire

दग्धःburnt

यथाas, just as

तत्रthere

श्रुतम्heard

मयाby me

वैचित्रवीर्यःVichitravirya (proper name)

नृपतिःking

तत्that (matter)

तेto you

वक्ष्यामिI will tell

सुव्रतO one of good vows / good conduct

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Yudhiṣṭhira

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Vicitravīrya

fire (agni)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames death and funerary acts within dharma: outward rites are not merely ‘ordinary’ or ‘vain’ when connected to a deeper moral and spiritual account. Nārada emphasizes truthful reporting and the unseen significance behind events, urging the king to understand causes and meanings beyond appearances.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada addresses Yudhiṣṭhira and introduces an explanation about Dhṛtarāṣṭra’s cremation, stating it was not a pointless burning by common fire. He signals that he will recount what he heard ‘there,’ setting up a fuller account of the circumstances and their significance.