Shloka 20
Nāmānirukta of Nārāyaṇa (Keśava–Viṣṇu–Vāsudeva) and the Rudra–Nārāyaṇa Unity Theme
नारद उवाच अनाम्नायमला वेदा ब्राह्मणस्याव्रतं मलम् । मलं॑ पृथिव्या वाहीका: स्त्रीणां कौतूहलं मलम्
nārada uvāca | anāmnāyamala vedā brāhmaṇasyāvrataṃ malam | malaṃ pṛthivyā vāhīkāḥ strīṇāṃ kautūhalaṃ malam |
ナーラダは言った。「ヴェーダにとっての汚れは、誦し学びを怠ること。バラモンにとっての汚れは、誓戒と規律ある行いを欠くこと。大地にとってはヴァーヒーカの民が汚点とされ、女人にとっては落ち着きなき好奇心が汚点とされる。」
नारद उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames ‘mala’ (blemish) as neglect of one’s proper discipline: sacred knowledge decays without regular recitation; a Brahmin’s role is compromised without vows and regulated conduct; and it warns against traits seen as socially disruptive (here, stereotyped as curiosity in women), emphasizing restraint and steadiness as ethical ideals.
In the Shanti Parva’s didactic setting, Narada delivers aphoristic moral observations. This verse is part of a list-like instruction where he identifies what counts as a ‘stain’ for different domains (scripture, social role, the world), aiming to sharpen the listener’s sense of dharma through concise contrasts.