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:

Transliteration

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

Translation

நாரதர் கூறினார்—நண்பர்களுக்கு அருள் செய்து துணை நிற்றல், பகைவராய் நடப்போரைக் கட்டுப்படுத்தி தண்டித்தல், மேலும் தர்மம்-அர்த்தம்-காமம் எனும் திரிவர்க்கத்திற்குரிய வளங்களைச் சேகரித்து காத்தல்—இதுவே ஞானிகள் கூறும் ‘ஶ்ரேயஸ்’ (உயர்நலம்) ஆகும்।

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.