Shloka 37

Udyoga Parva, Adhyaya 104: Nārada on Suhṛt and Nirbandha; the Viśvāmitra–Gālava Exemplum Begins

Devanagari script

प्रत्यक्षदर्शी सर्वस्य नारदो5यं महातपा: । माहात्म्यस्य तदा विष्णो: सो5यं चक्रगदाधर:

Transliteration

pratyakṣadarśī sarvasya nārado ’yaṃ mahātapāḥ | māhātmyasya tadā viṣṇoḥ so ’yaṃ cakragadādharaḥ ||

Translation

కణ్వుడు పలికెను—ఈ మహాతపస్వి నారదుడు సమస్త విషయాలకు ప్రత్యక్ష సాక్షి. మరియు అప్పటికి విష్ణు మహాత్మ్యము చెప్పబడుచుండగా, చక్రగదాధారి ఈయనే ఆ భగవాన్ విష్ణువు.

Word by Word

• प्रत्यक्षदर्शी: direct witness; one who sees directly
• प्रत्यक्षदर्शी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रत्यक्ष-दर्शिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वस्य: of all (things)
• सर्वस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• महातपाः: great ascetic (of great austerity)
• महातपाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महातपस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• माहात्म्यस्य: of the greatness/glory
• माहात्म्यस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: माहात्म्य
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• विष्णोः: of Vishnu
• विष्णोः: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्णु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अयम्: this (one)
• अयम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• चक्रगदाधरः: bearer of the discus and mace
• चक्रगदाधरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चक्र-गदा-धर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

कण्व उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Kaṇva
• Nārada
• Viṣṇu
• Cakra (discus)
• Gadā (mace)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes reliable moral and spiritual authority: Nārada is presented as an all-seeing eyewitness, and Viṣṇu (identified by the emblems of discus and mace) is affirmed as the supreme divine presence whose greatness grounds dharmic understanding.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kaṇva identifies the figures before him: he points out Nārada as a trustworthy witness to events and recognizes the other figure as Viṣṇu, marked by the cakra and gadā, linking the ongoing discussion to Viṣṇu’s acknowledged majesty.