Shloka 22

Adhyāya 223: Nāradasya Guṇa-kathana

Catalogue of Nārada’s Virtues

Devanagari script

यूपस्तवासीत्‌ सुमहान्‌ यजत: सर्वकाऊ्चन:

Transliteration

śakra uvāca | yūpas tavāsīt sumahān yajataḥ sarva-kāñcanaḥ | yajña-kāle samaye tubhyaṁ yajña-maṇḍapasya atyanta-viśālaḥ madhyavartī stambhaḥ pūrṇaḥ kāñcanamayaḥ āsīt | yadā tvaṁ nirantaraṁ daśa-daśa-koṭīr gāvaḥ sahasraśo dānaṁ karosi sma, daityāyāja, tadā tava manasi kīdṛśā vicārāḥ samutpannāḥ syuḥ ||

Translation

शक्र उवाच— यूपस्तवासीत् सुमहान् यजतः सर्वकाञ्चनः। यज्ञकाले महायज्ञशालायाः मध्यस्तम्भः समन्ततः सुवर्णमय एवाभवत्। यदा च त्वं निरन्तरं पुनः पुनर्दशदश-कोटिगवां दानं सहस्रशः अकरोः—दैत्ययाज! तदा ते मनसि के विचाराः समुत्पन्ना आसन्?

Word by Word

• यूपः: sacrificial post
• यूपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यूप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तव: of you/your
• तव: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• आसीत्: was
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Imperfect, 3rd, Singular

• सुमहान्: very great/huge
• सुमहान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुमहत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यजतः: of (you) sacrificing / while sacrificing
• यजतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज्
• Form: Shatr (present active participle), Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• सर्वकाञ्चनः: entirely of gold / all-golden
• सर्वकाञ्चनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वकाञ्चन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

शक्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• शक्र (Indra)
• यूप (sacrificial post)
• यज्ञमण्डप (sacrificial pavilion)
• गावः (cows)
• दैत्य (Daityas/Asuras)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse probes the ethical core of ritual and charity: not merely the magnitude of offerings (golden ritual structures, vast cow-gifts) but the inner intention and mental attitude behind them—whether grounded in dharma, humility, and self-restraint or in pride, rivalry, and desire for fame or power.

What is happening in the narrative?

Indra (Śakra) addresses a Daitya-associated sacrificer, recalling the extraordinary splendor of his sacrifice—especially the huge golden yūpa and immense repeated gifts of cows—and asks what thoughts motivated him during those acts, setting up a discussion on motive, merit, and the true value of sacrifice.