Shloka 22
Adhyāya 223: Nāradasya Guṇa-kathana
Catalogue of Nārada’s Virtues
यूपस्तवासीत् सुमहान् यजत: सर्वकाऊ्चन:
śakra uvāca | yūpas tavāsīt sumahān yajataḥ sarva-kāñcanaḥ | yajña-kāle samaye tubhyaṁ yajña-maṇḍapasya atyanta-viśālaḥ madhyavartī stambhaḥ pūrṇaḥ kāñcanamayaḥ āsīt | yadā tvaṁ nirantaraṁ daśa-daśa-koṭīr gāvaḥ sahasraśo dānaṁ karosi sma, daityāyāja, tadā tava manasi kīdṛśā vicārāḥ samutpannāḥ syuḥ ||
Śakra berkata: “Tiang korbanmu (yūpa) amatlah besar; dan bagi engkau yang sedang melaksanakan yajña, tiang tengah di balai korbanmu yang luas itu dibuat sepenuhnya daripada emas. Dan ketika engkau terus-menerus, berulang kali, menghadiahkan puluhan krore lembu sebagai derma—wahai pelaksana yajña kaum Daitya—apakah fikiran yang timbul dalam hatimu pada saat itu?”
शक्र उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse probes the ethical core of ritual and charity: not merely the magnitude of offerings (golden ritual structures, vast cow-gifts) but the inner intention and mental attitude behind them—whether grounded in dharma, humility, and self-restraint or in pride, rivalry, and desire for fame or power.
Indra (Śakra) addresses a Daitya-associated sacrificer, recalling the extraordinary splendor of his sacrifice—especially the huge golden yūpa and immense repeated gifts of cows—and asks what thoughts motivated him during those acts, setting up a discussion on motive, merit, and the true value of sacrifice.