Shloka 16

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

Devanagari script

अभिमानकृतं कर्म नैतत्‌ फलवदुच्यते । त्यागयुक्ते महाराज सर्वमेव महाफलम्‌,महाराज! यही कर्म यदि अभिमानपूर्वक किया जाय तो वह सफल नहीं होता, और त्यागपूर्वक किया हुआ सारा कर्म ही महान्‌ फलदायक होता है

Transliteration

abhimānakṛtaṁ karma naitat phalavad ucyate | tyāgayukte mahārāja sarvam eva mahāphalam ||

Translation

Nakula nói: “Việc làm do kiêu mạn thúc đẩy thì không thể gọi là có quả lành. Nhưng, hỡi Đại vương, khi hành động đi đôi với sự xả ly—làm mà không chấp thủ, không phô trương—thì mọi việc đều trở nên đại phúc.”

Word by Word

अभिमानकृतम्done with pride (ego-driven)

कर्मaction, deed

नnot

एतत्this

फलवत्fruitful, yielding results

उच्यतेis said/called

त्यागयुक्तेO (one) endowed with renunciation

महाराजO great king

सर्वम्all, the whole

एवindeed, just

महाफलम्of great fruit, highly rewarding

Speaker

नकुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nakula

Mahārāja (the king addressed)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Actions driven by ego and self-importance lose their true merit; when the same actions are performed with tyāga—without attachment to ‘I am the doer’ and without craving for reward—they become genuinely fruitful and spiritually elevating.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nakula addresses a king and offers counsel on right conduct: he contrasts pride-motivated deeds with deeds performed in a spirit of renunciation, emphasizing that inner intention determines the ethical and spiritual value of action.