Anushasana Parva Adhyaya 97 Shloka 28 - Mahabharata | Tamil | Vedapath

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Shloka 28

Chatra–Upānah Dāna: Origin Narrative

Jamadagni–Reṇukā–Sūrya Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

नहुष उवाच अतिथिर्ग॑हसंस्थो<स्तु कामवृत्तस्तु दीक्षित: । विद्यां प्रयच्छतु भूतो यस्ते हरति पुष्करम्‌

Transliteration

Nahuṣa uvāca: atithir gṛha-saṁstho 'stu kāma-vṛttaḥ tu dīkṣitaḥ | vidyāṁ prayacchatu bhūto yas te harati puṣkaram ||

Translation

நஹுஷன் கூறினார்—உன் தாமரையை அபகரித்தவன் துறவியெனினும் வீட்டிலேயே தங்குக; யாகதீட்சை பெற்றவனாயினும் ஆசை வழியில் நடக்குக; கூலி பெற்று கல்வி கற்பிக்குக—அதாவது இப்பாவப் பலனில் பங்காளியாகுக.

Word by Word

नहुषःNahusha

उवाचsaid

अतिथिःa guest

गृहसंस्थःdwelling in a house (house-dweller)

अस्तुlet (him) be

कामवृत्तःacting according to desire; licentious

तुand/but/indeed

दीक्षितःinitiated (for a rite); consecrated

विद्याम्knowledge; learning

प्रयच्छतुlet (him) give/bestow

भूतःhaving become; being

यःwho

तेof you; your

हरतिsteals; takes away

पुष्करम्lotus (lit.); (here) lotus(-like) ornament/lotus

Speaker

नहुष उवाच

Characters & Entities

न

नहुष (Nahuṣa)

अ

अतिथि (atithi, the guest-ideal as a social/religious role)

द

दीक्षित (dīkṣita, the consecrated sacrificer as a ritual role)

प

पुष्कर (puṣkara, lotus/lotus-flowers)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse condemns hypocrisy: adopting revered religious or social statuses (guest, consecrated sacrificer, teacher) while violating their ethical restraints. Such role-playing without inner discipline is treated as sinful and brings negative karmic consequence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nahuṣa pronounces an imprecatory wish/curse against the person who stole the other party’s lotus-flowers, invoking ironic punishments: the thief should bear the taint of living as a house-dwelling ‘guest,’ a desire-driven ‘initiated’ votary, and a wage-taking teacher—figures seen here as corruptions of dharma.