Shloka 4

Dambhodbhava, Nara-Nārāyaṇa, and the Counsel to Abandon Hubris

Udyoga-parva 94

Devanagari script

कब | | | - का ष्रै | ; / 7000 ०५९ राजन्‌ नान्यत्‌ प्रवक्तव्यं तव नैःश्रेयसं वच: । विदितं होव ते सर्व वेदितव्यमरिंदम

Transliteration

rājan nānyat pravaktavyaṃ tava naiḥśreyasaṃ vacaḥ | viditaṃ hova te sarvaṃ veditavyam ariṃdama ||

Translation

اے دشمنوں کو دبانے والے بادشاہ! تمہاری بھلائی کے لیے اس کے سوا کوئی اور بات کہنے کے لائق نہیں؛ کیونکہ جو کچھ جاننے کے قابل ہے وہ سب تمہیں معلوم ہے۔

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'rājan', 'definition': 'O king

• vocative address to a ruler'}, {'term': 'na anyat', 'definition': 'nothing else

• no other (thing/statement)'}, {'term': 'pravaktavyam', 'definition': 'to be spoken

• fit/necessary to be said'}, {'term': 'tava', 'definition': 'for you

• your'}, {'term': 'naiḥśreyasam', 'definition': 'highest good, true welfare, ultimate benefit'}, {'term': 'vacaḥ', 'definition': 'speech, word, counsel'}, {'term': 'viditam', 'definition': 'known, understood'}, {'term': 'hova', 'definition': 'indeed/it is said

• narrative particle used in epic style'}, {'term': 'te', 'definition': 'to you

• your'}, {'term': 'sarvam', 'definition': 'all, everything'}, {'term': 'veditavyam', 'definition': 'that which is to be known

• knowable/needful to know'}, {'term': 'ariṃdama', 'definition': 'subduer of enemies

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• rājan (the king addressed)
• ariṃdama (epithet of the king)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True welfare (naiḥśreyasa) is not advanced by excessive speech when the listener already knows the essentials; wise counsel includes restraint and recognition of the hearer’s understanding.

What is happening in the narrative?

The narrator Vaiśampāyana addresses a king respectfully, stating that he will not add further ‘beneficial’ advice because the king already possesses knowledge of all that needs to be known.