Shloka 5

Nakula’s Counsel on Yajña, Dāna, and Tyāga (नकुलोपदेशः—यज्ञदानत्यागविचारः)

Devanagari script

वेदवादापविद्धांस्तु तान्‌ विद्धि भृशनास्तिकान्‌ । न हि वेदोक्तमुत्सृज्य विप्र: सर्वेषु कर्मसु

Transliteration

vedavādāpaviddhāṁs tu tān viddhi bhṛśanāstikān | na hi vedoktam utsṛjya vipraḥ sarveṣu karmasu

Translation

Kilalanin na ang mga nagtatakwil sa kapangyarihan ng aral ng Veda ay mga ganap na walang pananampalataya. Sapagkat ang isang brāhmaṇa, sa alinmang tungkuling itinakda sa kanya, ay hindi iniiwan ang iniutos ng Veda.

Word by Word

वेदवादापविद्धान्those rejected/tainted by Vedic disputation

तुbut/indeed

तान्them

विद्धिknow (you)

भृशexceedingly

नास्तिकान्atheists/deniers (of Veda)

नnot

हिindeed/for

वेदोक्तम्that which is enjoined by the Veda

उत्सृज्यhaving abandoned

विप्रःa brahmin

सर्वेषुin all

कर्मसुrites/actions

Speaker

नकुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nakula

Veda

Vipra (Brāhmaṇa)

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?

Nakula asserts that rejecting the authority of Vedic teaching marks one as a thorough nāstika, and that a brāhmaṇa’s ethical-religious integrity lies in not setting aside Vedic injunctions in the performance of duties.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within the Shānti Parva’s reflective discourse on dharma after the war, Nakula speaks to define a boundary of orthodox conduct: adherence to Vedic injunctions, especially as a standard for brāhmaṇas, and a critique of those who discard that standard.