Shloka 4

Nārada’s Darśana of Viśvarūpa Nārāyaṇa and the Caturmūrti Doctrine (नारदस्य नारायणदर्शनं चतुर्मूर्तिविचारश्च)

Devanagari script

पुरोधसा संगृहीतं हस्तेनालभ्य पार्थिव: । प्रददौ गुरुपुत्राय शुकाय परमार्चितम्‌

Transliteration

purodhasā saṅgṛhītaṃ hastenālabhya pārthivaḥ | pradadau guruputrāya śukāya paramārcitam ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「王は、王家の祭司が捧げ持っていた厚く敬われる座を自らの手で受け取り、師の子シュカに、最上の礼をもって献じた。」

Word by Word

• पुरोधसा: by the priest
• पुरोधसा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरोधस्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• संगृहीतम्: held/taken (up)
• संगृहीतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सम्-ग्रह्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• हस्तेन: with (his) hand
• हस्तेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्त
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• आलभ्य: having taken/laid hold of
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-लभ्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada/Atmanepada-neutral

• पार्थिवः: the king
• पार्थिवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पार्थिव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रददौ: gave
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-दा
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• गुरु-पुत्राय: to the teacher's son
• गुरु-पुत्राय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरुपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• शुकाय: to Śuka
• शुकाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शुक
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• परम-अर्चितम्: highly honored/most revered
• परम-अर्चितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परमार्चित
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• purohita (royal priest)
• pārthiva (king, i.e., Janaka in context)
• Śuka
• guru (Śuka’s father/teacher figure)
• āsana (honored seat/throne-like seat)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is expressed through humility and honoring spiritual merit: even a king should personally show reverence to a worthy sage by offering respect and appropriate hospitality, valuing wisdom above status.

What is happening in the narrative?

The king (contextually Janaka) takes an honored seat that the royal priest was holding and personally presents it to Śuka, the guru’s son, as a mark of high respect and welcome.