Shloka 70

Dasyu-maryādā and Buddhi-guided Rāja-nīti (दस्युमर्यादा तथा बुद्धिप्रधान-राजनीति)

Devanagari script

निश्चय: स्वार्थशास्त्रेषु विश्वासश्वासुखोदय: । उशना चैव गाथे डे प्रह्लादायाब्रवीत्‌ पुरा

Transliteration

brahmadatta uvāca | niścayaḥ svārthaśāstreṣu viśvāsaś ca asukhodayaḥ | uśanā caiva gāthe dve prahlādāyābravīt purā |

Translation

నీతి శాస్త్రాలలో ఇది స్థిరనిర్ణయం: విశ్వాసం దుఃఖోదయానికి కారణం. పూర్వకాలంలో ఉశనా (శుక్రాచార్యుడు) కూడా ప్రహ్లాదునికి ఇదే విషయంపై రెండు గాథలను చెప్పాడు.

Word by Word

• निश्चयः: certainty; settled conclusion
• निश्चयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: निश्चय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्वार्थशास्त्रेषु: in the treatises on self-interest/policy
• स्वार्थशास्त्रेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वार्थशास्त्र
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• विश्वासः: trust; confidence
• विश्वासः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विश्वास
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• असुखोदयः: a source/arising of unhappiness
• असुखोदयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: असुखोदय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उशना: Uśanā (Śukrācārya)
• उशना: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: उशनस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed; just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• गाथे: two verses (gāthās)
• गाथे: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाथा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Dual

• प्रह्लादाय: to Prahlāda
• प्रह्लादाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रह्लाद
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• अब्रवीत्: said; spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पुरा: formerly; in ancient times
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

Speaker

ब्रह्मदत्त उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Brahmadatta
• Uśanā (Śukrācārya)
• Prahlāda

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a nīti (practical-ethical) maxim: unguarded trust can become a cause of suffering; therefore one should place confidence with discernment rather than naïvely.

What is happening in the narrative?

Brahmadatta is speaking and introduces an older authority: Uśanā (Śukrācārya) once instructed Prahlāda with two didactic verses, which are about to be quoted to support the point about the dangers of trust.