Shloka 16

Cāturhotra as Inner Sacrifice (Yoga-Yajña) and Nārāyaṇa Recitation

Devanagari script

ऋषचश्नाप्यत्र शंसन्ति नारायणविदो जना: । नारायणाय देवाय यदविन्दन्‌ पशून्‌ पुरा

Transliteration

ṛṣayaś cāpy atra śaṃsanti nārāyaṇavido janāḥ | nārāyaṇāya devāya yad avindan paśūn purā ||

Translation

Những người thật sự biết Nārāyaṇa cũng dẫn chứng lời chứng của các bậc hiền triết tại đây: thuở xưa, để đạt đến Nārāyaṇa chí tôn, những người mộ đạo đã khiến “các thú” phải quy phục—tức là họ chế ngự các căn (giác quan) vốn hoang dã, khó trị. Bài kệ đặt tiến trình tâm linh như một kỷ luật đạo đức: lòng sùng kính không được chứng minh bằng lời tự xưng, mà bằng sự tiết chế và tự chủ nội tâm, hướng trọn về Thượng Đế.

Word by Word

• ऋचः: Vedic verses (ṛks)
• ऋचः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋच् (प्रातिपदिक: ऋच्/ऋचा)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

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

• श्नापि: they obtain / they reach
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्ना (धातु)
• Form: Present, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र

• शंसन्ति: they praise / they proclaim
• Type: Verb
• Root: शंस् (धातु)
• Form: Present, 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• नारायणविदः: knowers of Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणविदः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायणविद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• जनाः: people
• जनाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नारायणाय: to/for Nārāyaṇa
• नारायणाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• देवाय: to/for the god
• देवाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• यत्: which (that which)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अविन्दन्: they found / they obtained
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (लभे/विन्दते) (धातु)
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

• पशून्: animals
• पशून्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पशु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārāyaṇa
• Ṛṣis (seers)
• Nārāyaṇa-vids (knowers of Nārāyaṇa)
• Paśus (animals/senses)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Devotion to Nārāyaṇa is validated through disciplined mastery of the senses; the ‘animals’ to be subdued are the sense-forces that otherwise drag the mind outward. The verse appeals to ṛṣi-authority to present self-restraint as a form of inner sacrifice directed to God.

What is happening in the narrative?

A brāhmaṇa speaker supports a teaching about yoga-like sacrifice by citing what the seers and Nārāyaṇa-knowers say: in ancient times devotees, seeking Nārāyaṇa, ‘obtained/subdued the paśus’—understood as bringing the senses under control as part of spiritual practice.