Shloka 30

Nārāyaṇasya Guhya-nāmāni Niruktāni (Etymologies of Nārāyaṇa’s Secret Epithets) / नारायणस्य गुह्यनामानि निरुक्तानि

Devanagari script

पुत्रदारकुट॒म्बेषु सक्ता: सीदन्ति जन्तव: । सर:पड्कार्णवे मग्ना जीर्णा वनगजा इव

Transliteration

putradārakuṭumbeṣu saktāḥ sīdanti jantavaḥ | saraḥ-paṅkārṇave magnā jīrṇā vanagajā iva ||

Translation

ନାରଦ କହିଲେ—ସ୍ତ୍ରୀ, ପୁତ୍ର ଓ କୁଟୁମ୍ବରେ ଆସକ୍ତ ପ୍ରାଣୀମାନେ ଦୁଃଖରେ ଡୁବନ୍ତି; ଯେପରି ସରୋବରର କାଦୁଆରେ ଫସିଥିବା ବୃଦ୍ଧ ବନହାତୀମାନେ ଅସହାୟ ଯନ୍ତ୍ରଣା ଭୋଗନ୍ତି।

Word by Word

• पुत्र: in sons
• पुत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• दार: in wives
• दार: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दार
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• कुटुम्बेषु: in families/households
• कुटुम्बेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुटुम्ब
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• सक्ताः: attached, clinging
• सक्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सक्त
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सीदन्ति: sink; suffer; become distressed
• Type: Verb
• Root: सद्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• जन्तवः: creatures, beings
• जन्तवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन्तु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सरः: in a lake
• सरः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सरस्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• पङ्कार्णवे: in a sea of mud; in muddy mire
• पङ्कार्णवे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पङ्कार्णव
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• मग्नाः: sunk, immersed, stuck
• मग्नाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मग्न
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• जीर्णाः: worn out, old
• जीर्णाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जीर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वनगजाः: forest-elephants
• वनगजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वनगज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• इव: like, as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• sons/children (putra)
• wife (dāra)
• household/family (kuṭumba)
• lake/pond (saraḥ)
• mud/mire (paṅka)
• wild/forest elephants (vanagaja)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Excessive attachment to spouse, children, and household becomes a form of bondage that causes suffering; one should cultivate discernment and detachment so that family life does not turn into spiritual entrapment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada is instructing the listener through a vivid simile: beings engrossed in domestic attachments are compared to aged wild elephants trapped in a lake’s mire, unable to free themselves and therefore enduring pain.