Shloka 50

Kāṣṭhīlā-Ākhyāna: Ratnāvalī’s Return, Co-wife Dharma, and the Phālguna Propitiation

Devanagari script

कथं यास्यसि भर्तारं धनलुब्धे श्रिया वृतम् । यस्त्वया निर्द्धनः पूर्वं परित्यक्तः सुदीनवत् ॥ ५० ॥

Transliteration

kathaṃ yāsyasi bhartāraṃ dhanalubdhe śriyā vṛtam | yastvayā nirddhanaḥ pūrvaṃ parityaktaḥ sudīnavat || 50 ||

Translation

Wahai engkau yang tamak akan harta—bagaimanakah engkau kini hendak kembali kepada suamimu yang dikelilingi kemakmuran dan seri, sedangkan dahulu engkau meninggalkannya seolah-olah dia papa dan hina?

Word by Word

• कथम्: how?
• कथम्: Prashna/Upapada (प्रश्न/उपपद)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम् (अव्यय)
• Form: प्रश्नार्थक-अव्यय (interrogative adverb)

• यास्यसि: you will go
• यास्यसि: Kriya (क्रिया)
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: लृट् (Simple Future/भविष्यत्काल), मध्यमपुरुष (2nd person), एकवचन (singular), परस्मैपद

• भर्तारम्: husband
• भर्तारम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भर्तृ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), द्वितीया विभक्ति (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular)

• धनलुब्धे: O one greedy for wealth
• धनलुब्धे: Sambodhana (सम्बोधन)
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन + लुब्ध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तत्पुरुष-समास (धने लुब्धः), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), सम्बोधन विभक्ति (vocative/8th), एकवचन (singular)

• श्रिया: by prosperity/wealth
• श्रिया: Karana (करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्री (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग (feminine), तृतीया विभक्ति (instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• वृतम्: surrounded/covered
• वृतम्: Karma (कर्म)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), नपुंसकलिङ्ग (neuter), द्वितीया विभक्ति (accusative/2nd), एकवचन (singular); भर्तारम् इति विशेषणम्

• यः: who
• यः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular)

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Kartr-karana (कर्तृ/करण)
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: तृतीया विभक्ति (instrumental/3rd), एकवचन (singular)

• निर्द्धनः: poor, without wealth
• निर्द्धनः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर्धन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); यः इति विशेषणम्

• पूर्वम्: formerly
• पूर्वम्: Kāla-adhikaraṇa (काल-अधिकरण)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पूर्वम् (अव्यय/प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कालवाचक-अव्यय (temporal adverb)

• परित्यक्तः: abandoned
• परित्यक्तः: Karta (कर्ता)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परि + त्यज् (धातु)
• Form: क्त-प्रत्ययान्त कृदन्त (past passive participle), पुंलिङ्ग (masculine), प्रथमा विभक्ति (nominative/1st), एकवचन (singular); यः इति विशेषणम्

• सुदीनवत्: like a very wretched person
• सुदीनवत्: Prakāra (प्रकार)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सु + दीन + वत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: उपमानवाचक-अव्यय (simile adverb with -वत्)

Speaker

Narrator within a didactic dialogue (traditional flow: Suta recounting a teaching discourse attributed to Narada/Sanatkumara lineage)

Vrata Kalpa

Vrata: none

Verse Rasa

Primary Rasa: karuna

Secondary Rasa: shanta

Characters & Entities

• Sri (Lakshmi)

FAQs

What is the spiritual significance of this verse in Narada Purana?

It condemns dhana-lobha (greed for wealth) and highlights the karmic and ethical fault of valuing relationships only when prosperity appears, urging steadiness in dharma rather than attachment to fluctuating śrī (fortune).

How does this verse explain the path of devotion (Bhakti)?

By exposing the instability of chasing wealth, it implicitly points toward bhakti as a steadier refuge—devotion grounded in fidelity, gratitude, and inner virtue rather than external prosperity.

What practical Vedic knowledge (Vedanga) is highlighted here?

No specific Vedanga (like Vyakarana or Jyotisha) is taught directly; the practical takeaway is dharma-nīti for the gṛhastha: do not abandon duties and relationships due to changing material conditions.