Shloka 20

Āśrama-dharma and Brahmacarya: Śuka’s Inquiry on Karma and Tyāga (शुक-प्रश्नः कर्मत्यागविवेकश्च)

Devanagari script

प्रतर्दन: काशिपति: प्रदाय नयने स्वके । ब्राह्मणायातुलां कीर्तिमिह चामुत्र चाश्लुते

Transliteration

pratardanaḥ kāśipatiḥ pradāya nayane svake | brāhmaṇāyātulāṃ kīrtim iha cāmutra cāśnute ||

Translation

Vyāsa nói: Pratardana, vua xứ Kāśī, đã hiến dâng chính đôi mắt của mình cho một vị Bà-la-môn, nên ở đời này đạt danh tiếng vô song; và ở đời sau cũng hưởng hạnh phúc thù thắng. Bài kệ tôn vinh đạo lý bố thí bằng sự hy sinh thân thể, xem đó là hình thức dāna tối thượng, đem lại cả vinh dự thế gian lẫn phúc báo tâm linh.

Word by Word

• प्रतर्दनः: Pratardana
• प्रतर्दनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतर्दन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• काशिपतिः: lord of Kāśī (king of Kāśī)
• काशिपतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: काशिपति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रदाय: having given
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + दा
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage), Non-finite

• नयने: two eyes
• नयने: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नयन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Dual

• स्वके: his own
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Dual

• ब्राह्मणाय: to a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• अतुलाम्: incomparable
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अतुल
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• कीर्तिम्: fame, renown
• कीर्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्ति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• इह: here (in this world)
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

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

• अमुत्र: there (in the other world)
• अमुत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अमुत्र

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

• अश्नुते: attains, enjoys
• Type: Verb
• Root: अश्
• Form: Lat (Present), Atmanepada, Third, Singular

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Pratardana
• Kāśī (Kāśipati / Kāśirāja)
• Brāhmaṇa
• Eyes (nayana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Supreme generosity (dāna) and self-sacrifice (tyāga) performed for a worthy recipient is portrayed as dharmic conduct that yields a double fruit: worldly honor (kīrti) and otherworldly well-being (sukha).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa cites an exemplum: Pratardana, the king of Kāśī, gives his own two eyes to a brāhmaṇa. This extreme gift becomes the reason he is celebrated on earth and is said to enjoy happiness after death.