Shloka 178

सहधर्म-प्रश्नः तथा अष्टावक्रोपाख्यान-प्रस्तावः

Inquiry on Sahadharma and the Opening of the Aṣṭāvakra Narrative

Devanagari script

वैवस्वत मनुने समाधिनिष्ठ और ज्ञानी नारायण नामक किसी साध्यदेवताको यह स्तोत्र प्रदान किया। धर्मसे कभी च्युत न होनेवाले उन पूजनीय नारायण नामक साध्यदेवने यमको इसका उपदेश किया

Transliteration

Vaivasvata-manunā samādhi-niṣṭhena jñāninā Nārāyaṇa-nāmakaḥ kaścid Sādhya-devatāya idaṃ stotram pradattam. Dharmāt kadācana acyutaḥ sa pūjanīyaḥ Nārāyaṇa-nāmā Sādhya-devaḥ Yamāya asya upadeśaṃ cakāra.

Translation

Vāyu disse: Vaivasvata Manu, firme no samādhi e dotado de verdadeiro conhecimento, certa vez concedeu este hino a uma divindade Sādhya chamada Nārāyaṇa. Esse venerável Sādhya, Nārāyaṇa—que jamais se desvia do dharma—então o ensinou a Yama.

Word by Word

• वैवस्वत: Vaivasvata (son of Vivasvat)
• वैवस्वत: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैवस्वत (प्रातिपदिक; विवस्वत्-सम्बन्धी)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मनुः: Manu
• मनुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• समाधि-निष्ठः: steadfast in samādhi
• समाधि-निष्ठः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्ठ (प्रातिपदिक); समाधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ज्ञानी: wise, knower
• ज्ञानी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ज्ञानिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नारायण-नामकः: named Nārāyaṇa
• नारायण-नामकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नामक (प्रातिपदिक); नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कश्चित्: a certain (one)
• कश्चित्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कश्चित् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• साध्य-देवताम्: a Sādhya deity
• साध्य-देवताम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवता (प्रातिपदिक); साध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• इदम्: this
• इदम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• स्तोत्रम्: hymn
• स्तोत्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्तोत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रददौ: gave, bestowed
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular

• धर्मात्: from dharma
• धर्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• कदाचन: ever, at any time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन (अव्यय)

• अच्युतः: not fallen (from), unwavering
• अच्युतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अच्युत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पूजनीयः: worthy of worship
• पूजनीयः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूजनीय (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त-भाव)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नारायण-नामकः: named Nārāyaṇa
• नारायण-नामकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नामक (प्रातिपदिक); नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• साध्य-देवः: the Sādhya god
• साध्य-देवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक); साध्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यमम्: Yama
• यमम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यम (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अस्य: of this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• उपदेशम्: instruction, teaching
• उपदेशम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उपदेश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• चकार: did, imparted
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vāyu (Vāyudeva)
• Vaivasvata Manu
• Nārāyaṇa (Sādhya-deity)
• Sādhyas
• Yama

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes the ethical authority of a hymn through its lineage: it is transmitted by figures marked by samādhi (discipline), jñāna (insight), and unwavering dharma. The implied teaching is that sacred instruction gains weight when embodied and passed on by those who live the righteousness they teach.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyu narrates how Vaivasvata Manu first gave a stotra to a Sādhya deity named Nārāyaṇa, and how that revered, dharma-steady deity subsequently instructed Yama in it—establishing a chain of transmission from Manu to Nārāyaṇa to Yama.