Shloka 113

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच अग्निहोत्रफला वेदा दत्तभुक्तफलं धनम्‌ | रतिपुत्रफला दारा: शीलवृत्तफलं श्रुतम्‌,नारदजीने कहा--राजन्‌! वेदोंकी सफलता अग्निहोत्रसे होती है, दान और भोगसे ही धन सफल होता है, स्त्रीका फल है--रति और पुत्रकी प्राप्ति तथा शास्त्रज्ञाकका फल है, शील और सदाचार

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | agnihotra-phalā vedā datta-bhukta-phalaṃ dhanam | rati-putra-phalā dārāḥ śīla-vṛtta-phalaṃ śrutam ||

Translation

ನಾರದನು ಹೇಳಿದನು—ರಾಜನೇ! ವೇದಗಳ ಫಲ ಅগ্নಿಹೋತ್ರಾನುಷ್ಠಾನದಲ್ಲಿದೆ. ಧನದ ಫಲ ದಾನದಲ್ಲೂ ಧರ್ಮಸಮ್ಮತ ಭೋಗದಲ್ಲೂ ಇದೆ. ಪತ್ನಿ ಮತ್ತು ದಾಂಪತ್ಯ-ಗೃಹಸ್ಥ ಜೀವನದ ಫಲ ರತಿ ಹಾಗೂ ಪುತ್ರಪ್ರಾಪ್ತಿಯಲ್ಲಿ ಇದೆ. ಶಾಸ್ತ್ರಜ್ಞಾನದ ಫಲ ಶೀಲ ಮತ್ತು ಸದಾಚಾರ.

Word by Word

नारदःNarada

उवाचsaid

अग्निहोत्रफलाःhaving agnihotra as (their) fruit

वेदाःthe Vedas

दत्तभुक्तफलम्having giving and enjoyment as (its) fruit

धनम्wealth

रतिपुत्रफलाःhaving pleasure and sons as (their) fruit

दाराःwives

शीलवृत्तफलम्having good conduct and right behavior as (its) fruit

श्रुतम्learning; sacred knowledge

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

King (Rājan)

Agnihotra

Vedas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Nārada defines the proper ‘fruit’ (meaningful fulfillment) of key human pursuits: scripture is fulfilled by disciplined ritual (Agnihotra), wealth by generosity and rightful enjoyment, marriage by conjugal harmony and progeny, and learning by moral character and good conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Sabha Parva context, Nārada addresses a king and offers a didactic summary of how different domains—Vedic study, wealth, household life, and learning—should culminate in concrete dharmic outcomes rather than remaining merely theoretical or unused.