Shloka 16

Adhyāya 287 — Janaka’s Inquiry on Śreyas, Abhayadāna, and Asaṅga

Non-attachment

Devanagari script

अनुग्रहं च मित्राणाममित्राणां च निग्रहम्‌ । संग्रह च त्रिवर्गस्थ श्रेय आहुर्मनीषिण:

Transliteration

anugrahaṃ ca mitrāṇām amitrāṇāṃ ca nigraham | saṃgrahaṃ ca trivargasthaṃ śreya āhur manīṣiṇaḥ ||

Translation

Nārada nói: “Ban ân và nâng đỡ bạn hữu, kiềm chế và trừng phạt kẻ hành xử như thù địch, và gìn giữ những nguồn lực thuộc ba mục tiêu của đời sống—dharma, artha và kāma—đó là điều mà bậc hiền trí tuyên bố là con đường đưa đến phúc lợi chân thật (śreyas).”

Word by Word

• {'anugraham': 'favor, benevolence, active support

• gracious assistance', 'mitrāṇām': 'of friends, allies, well-wishers', 'amitrāṇām': 'of non-friends

• enemies, hostile persons', 'nigraham': 'restraint, suppression

• chastisement/punishment when warranted', 'saṃgraham': 'gathering, maintenance, prudent accumulation/management', 'trivarga-stham': 'situated in the triad of aims (dharma, artha, kāma)', 'śreyaḥ': 'the good, welfare, true benefit

• what leads to lasting well-being', 'āhuḥ': 'they say, they declare', 'manīṣiṇaḥ': 'the wise, discerning thinkers'}

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Narada

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Welfare (śreyas) in governance and conduct comes from a balanced triad: benevolence toward allies, firm restraint of hostile wrongdoers, and prudent management of dharma-artha-kāma resources.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on righteous conduct and polity, Nārada states a concise principle of practical ethics: reward and protect friends, punish enemies who act wickedly, and sustain the three aims of life through disciplined stewardship.