Shloka 39

Devanagari script

एतावच्छेय इत्याह प्रह्मादो ब्रह्मवादिनम्‌ । शुश्रूषितस्तेन तदा दैत्येन्द्रो वाक्यमब्रवीत्‌,इतना ही श्रेय है, यह बात प्रह्नादने उस ब्रह्मवादी ब्राह्मगसे कहा। इसके बाद भी उसके सेवा-शुश्रूषा करनेपर दैत्यराजने उससे यह बात कही--

Transliteration

etāvac chreya ity āha prahrādo brahmavādinam | śuśrūṣitas tena tadā daityendro vākyam abravīt ||

Translation

प्रह्लादाने त्या ब्रह्मवादी ब्राह्मणास म्हटले—“एवढेच परम श्रेय आहे.” तरीही त्याने सेवा-शुश्रूषा केल्यावर दैत्येंद्राने तेव्हा पुढील वचन उच्चारले.

Word by Word

एतावत्this much

श्रेयःthe good; welfare; the better course

इतिthus (quotative)

आहsaid

प्रह्लादःPrahlada

ब्रह्मवादिनम्the expounder of Brahman; Brahmavādin

शुश्रूषितःhaving been served/attended; well-attended

तेनby him; by that (person)

तदाthen

दैत्येन्द्रःthe lord of the Daityas (demon-king)

वाक्यम्speech; statement

अब्रवीत्said; spoke

Speaker

प्रह्माद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Prahrāda

Brahmavādin (a Brahman teacher/speaker of Brahman)

Daityendra (lord of the Daityas)

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?

The verse foregrounds śreyas—true welfare or the highest good—as the aim of instruction, and implies that humility and service (śuśrūṣā) prepare a person to receive deeper ethical guidance beyond an initial summary.

What is happening in the narrative?

Prahrāda addresses a brahmavādin, stating that “this much is the highest good.” Despite the brahmavādin’s continued attentive service, the Daitya lord then proceeds to speak further, indicating a continuation or deepening of the counsel.