Shloka 16

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

Non-attachment

Devanagari script

अनुग्रहं च मित्राणाममित्राणां च निग्रहम्‌ । संग्रह च त्रिवर्गस्थ श्रेय आहुर्मनीषिण:,जो अच्छी तरह कल्याण करनेवाला साधन होता है, वह सर्वथा संशयरहित होता है। सुहृदोंपर अनुग्रह करना, शत्रुभाव रखनेवाले दुष्टोंको दण्ड देना तथा धर्म, अर्थ और कामका संग्रह करना--इसे मनीषी पुरुष श्रेय कहते हैं

Transliteration

anugrahaṃ ca mitrāṇām amitrāṇāṃ ca nigraham | saṃgrahaṃ ca trivargasthaṃ śreya āhur manīṣiṇaḥ ||

Translation

नारद उवाच—मित्राणामनुग्रहं चामित्राणां च निग्रहं, तथा धर्मार्थकामेषु त्रिवर्गस्थस्य संग्रहः—एतत् मनीषिणः श्रेय इति प्राहुः।

Word by Word

• {'anugraham': 'favor, benevolence, active support

• gracious assistance', 'mitrāṇām': 'of friends, allies, well-wishers', 'amitrāṇām': 'of non-friends

• enemies, hostile persons', 'nigraham': 'restraint, suppression

• chastisement/punishment when warranted', 'saṃgraham': 'gathering, maintenance, prudent accumulation/management', 'trivarga-stham': 'situated in the triad of aims (dharma, artha, kāma)', 'śreyaḥ': 'the good, welfare, true benefit

• what leads to lasting well-being', 'āhuḥ': 'they say, they declare', 'manīṣiṇaḥ': 'the wise, discerning thinkers'}

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Narada

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Welfare (śreyas) in governance and conduct comes from a balanced triad: benevolence toward allies, firm restraint of hostile wrongdoers, and prudent management of dharma-artha-kāma resources.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct and polity, Nārada states a concise principle of practical ethics: reward and protect friends, punish enemies who act wickedly, and sustain the three aims of life through disciplined stewardship.