Shloka 3

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

Devanagari script

नकुल उवाच विशाखयूपे देवानां सर्वेषामग्नयश्िता: । तस्माद्‌ विद्धि महाराज देवा: कर्मफले स्थिता:,नकुल बोले--महाराज! विशाखयूप नामक क्षेत्रमें सम्पूर्ण देवताओंद्वारा की हुई अग्निस्थापनाके चिह्न (ईटोंकी बनी हुई वेदियाँ) मौजूद हैं। इससे आपको यह समझना चाहिये कि देवता भी वैदिक कर्मों और उनके फलोंपर विश्वास करते हैं

Transliteration

Nakula uvāca—Viśākhayūpe devānāṁ sarveṣām agnayaḥ sthitāḥ | tasmād viddhi mahārāja devāḥ karmaphale sthitāḥ ||

Translation

Nakula disse: “Ó grande rei, em Viśākhayūpa ainda permanecem os altares de fogo estabelecidos por todos os deuses. Portanto, compreende isto: até os deuses se firmam na ação ritual e em seus frutos.”

Word by Word

• {'Nakula uvāca': 'Nakula said', 'Viśākhayūpe': 'at/in Viśākhayūpa (a named sacred place/field)', 'devānām sarveṣām': 'of all the gods', 'agnayaḥ': 'sacred fires

• fire-altars (as instituted in Vedic rites)', 'sthitāḥ': 'standing

• present', 'tasmāt': 'therefore

• from that (evidence)', 'viddhi': 'know

• understand', 'mahārāja': 'O great king', 'devāḥ': 'the gods', 'karma-phale': 'in action and its fruit

• in the results of prescribed rites', 'sthitāḥ (karmaphale sthitāḥ)': 'are grounded in/committed to (the doctrine of) karmic results'}

Speaker

नकुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nakula
• Mahārāja (the king addressed)
• Devas (all gods)
• Viśākhayūpa
• Agni / sacred fires (fire-altars)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Nakula argues that karma and its fruits are authoritative even for the gods; the visible remains of established sacred fires serve as proof that divine beings themselves rely on Vedic action and its results.

What is happening in the narrative?

In a didactic exchange in Śānti Parva, Nakula addresses the king and points to a sacred site named Viśākhayūpa where fire-altars are said to remain, using this as an example to support the principle that ritual action yields results and is upheld universally.