Shloka 51

Adhyāya 287 — Janaka’s Inquiry on Śreyas, Abhayadāna, and Asaṅga

Non-attachment

Devanagari script

जिस देशमें सदा धर्मपरायण, यज्ञ कराने और पढ़ानेके कार्यमें संलग्न सनातनधर्मी श्रोत्रिय ब्राह्मण ही सबसे पहले भोजन पाते हों, उस राष्ट्रमें अवश्य निवास करे ।।

Transliteration

svāhāsvadhāvaṣaṭkārā yatra samyaganūṣṭhitāḥ | ajasraṁ caiva vartante vaset tatra avicārayan ||

Translation

ନାରଦ କହିଲେ—ଯେ ଦେଶରେ ସଦା ଧର୍ମପରାୟଣ, ଯଜ୍ଞ କରାଇବା ଓ ବେଦ ଅଧ୍ୟାପନରେ ନିରତ ସନାତନଧର୍ମୀ ଶ୍ରୋତ୍ରିୟ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣମାନେ ସବୁଠାରୁ ପ୍ରଥମେ ଭୋଜନଭାଗ ପାଆନ୍ତି, ସେହି ରାଷ୍ଟ୍ରରେ ନିଶ୍ଚୟ ବସିବା ଉଚିତ। ଯେଉଁଠି ସ୍ୱାହା (ଅଗ୍ନିହୋତ୍ର), ସ୍ୱଧା (ଶ୍ରାଦ୍ଧ) ଓ ବଷଟ୍କାର ସହିତ କର୍ମଗୁଡ଼ିକ ଭଲଭାବେ ଅନୁଷ୍ଠିତ ହୁଏ ଏବଂ ନିରନ୍ତର ଚାଲିଥାଏ, ସେଠି ନିର୍ବିଚାରେ ନିବାସ କରିବା ଉଚିତ।

Word by Word

• स्वाहा: the exclamation ‘svāhā’ (in offerings, esp. agnihotra)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वाहा
• Form: indeclinable (interjection/ritual exclamation)

• स्वधा: the exclamation ‘svadhā’ (in ancestral rites)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: स्वधा
• Form: indeclinable (ritual exclamation)

• वषट्कारा: vaṣaṭ-calls/vaṣaṭ-formulas
• वषट्कारा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वषट्कार
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र
• Form: indeclinable (relative adverb of place)

• सम्यक्: properly, correctly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सम्यक्
• Form: indeclinable (adverb)

• अनुष्ठिता: performed/observed (properly)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु-स्था
• Form: past passive participle, masculine nominative plural

• अजस्रम्: unceasingly, continually
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अजस्र
• Form: indeclinable (adverbial accusative)

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: indeclinable (conjunction)

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव
• Form: indeclinable (particle)

• वर्तन्ते: they proceed/continue (are carried on)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: present tense, 3rd person, plural, Ātmanepada

• वसेत्: one should dwell/reside
• Type: Verb
• Root: वस्
• Form: optative, 3rd person, singular, Parasmaipada

• तत्र: there
• तत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तत्र
• Form: indeclinable (adverb of place)

• अविचारयन्: not deliberating; without hesitation
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-चर्
• Form: present active participle with privative a-, masculine nominative singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• Brāhmaṇa (śrotriya)
• svāhā
• svadhā
• vaṣaṭkāra
• yajña
• agnihotra
• śrāddha

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Choose residence in a society where dharma is actively upheld through continuous, correctly performed Vedic and ancestral rites, and where learned, dharma-committed Brāhmaṇas are honored—symbolized by giving them the first share of food.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous living and social well-being, Nārada describes the marks of a dharmic land/kingdom and advises that one should live where sacrificial and śrāddha duties are properly maintained and the custodians of Vedic learning are duly respected.