Shloka 69

अध्याय ३५१ — उञ्छवृत्ति-व्रतसिद्धेः मानुषस्य परमगतिः

Sūrya–Nāga Dialogue on the Perfected Gleaner-Ascetic

Devanagari script

यथागमं यथाज्ञानं निष्ठा नारायण: प्रभु: । न चैनमेवं जानन्ति तमोभूता विशाम्पते

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | yathāgamaṃ yathājñānaṃ niṣṭhā nārāyaṇaḥ prabhuḥ | na cainam evaṃ jānanti tamobhūtā viśāṃpate nṛpaśreṣṭha |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana nói: “Theo kinh điển và theo chân tri, nền tảng tối hậu và nơi nương tựa vững chắc chính là Chúa tể Nārāyaṇa. Nhưng, hỡi chúa của muôn dân, hỡi bậc vua tối thượng, những kẻ bị bóng tối (vô minh) bao phủ lại không nhận biết Ngài theo cách ấy.”

Word by Word

• यथा: as, according to
• यथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• आगमम्: scriptural tradition/authority
• आगमम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आगम
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यथा: as, according to
• यथा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• ज्ञानम्: knowledge
• ज्ञानम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• निष्ठा: final goal/steadfast culmination
• निष्ठा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्ठा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• नारायणः: Narayana
• नारायणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारायण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रभुः: the Lord, master
• प्रभुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

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

• एनम्: him/this (one)
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• एवम्: thus, in this way
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• जानन्ति: they know
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• तमः-भूताः: become darkness; deluded
• तमः-भूताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तमोभूत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• विशाम्-पते: O lord of the people
• Type: Noun
• Root: विशाम्पति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• नृप-श्रेष्ठ: O best of kings
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृपश्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Nārāyaṇa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Scripture (āgama) and true knowledge (jñāna) converge on Nārāyaṇa as the ultimate foundation (niṣṭhā) and supreme Lord (prabhu). Spiritual failure is framed as epistemic and moral darkness: those overwhelmed by ignorance cannot recognize this highest truth.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Vaiśampāyana’s ongoing instruction within Śānti Parva, he emphasizes a theological conclusion: the culmination of teachings and realizations is Nārāyaṇa, while many people—described as tamobhūtāḥ, ‘immersed in darkness’—remain unable to perceive Him as the final reality.