Shloka 23

Nakula’s Counsel on Yajña, Dāna, and Tyāga (नकुलोपदेशः—यज्ञदानत्यागविचारः)

Devanagari script

तत्‌ सम्प्राप्य गृहस्था ये पशुधान्यधनान्विता: । न यजन्ते महाराज शाश्रचतं तेषु किल्बिषम्‌

Transliteration

tat samprāpya gṛhasthā ye paśudhānyadhanānvitāḥ | na yajante mahārāja śāśvataṁ teṣu kilbiṣam ||

Translation

ମହାରାଜ! ଯେ ଗୃହସ୍ଥମାନେ ସମୃଦ୍ଧି ପାଇ ଗୋଧନ, ଧାନ୍ୟ ଓ ଧନରେ ସମ୍ପନ୍ନ ହୋଇ ମଧ୍ୟ ଯଜ୍ଞ କରନ୍ତି ନାହିଁ, ସେମାନଙ୍କ ଉପରେ ଶାଶ୍ୱତ ଦୋଷ—ପାପକଳଙ୍କ—ରହିଥାଏ।

Word by Word

• तत्: that (thing/goal)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• सम्प्राप्य: having attained
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + प्र + आप्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• गृहस्थाः: householders
• गृहस्थाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहस्थ
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• ये: who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• पशु-धान्य-धन-अन्विताः: endowed with cattle, grain, and wealth
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्वित
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• यजन्ते: they perform sacrifice / they worship
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज्
• Form: present (lat), ātmanepada, third, plural

• महा-राज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महाराज
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• शाश्वतम्: everlasting / constant
• शाश्वतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शाश्वत
• Form: neuter, accusative, singular

• तेषु: in them / among them
• तेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: masculine, locative, plural

• किल्बिषम्: sin / demerit
• किल्बिषम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: किल्बिष
• Form: neuter, nominative, singular

Speaker

नकुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nakula
• Mahārāja (the king addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Prosperity brings obligation: a householder who has gained resources (cattle, grain, wealth) should uphold dharma through yajña—understood as sacrificial duty, offering, and responsible giving; neglecting this incurs lasting moral fault (kilbiṣa).

What is happening in the narrative?

Nakula addresses the king and states a normative rule of conduct for householders: once they attain material means, they should perform yajña; failure to do so is described as an enduring ethical blemish.