Shloka 3

Nārāyaṇopadeśa to Mārkaṇḍeya (Cosmic Self-Identification and Yuga Doctrine) | नारायणोपदेशः

Devanagari script

कथं वाग्निं जुहुयां पूजये वा कस्मिन्‌ काले केन धर्मो न नश्येत्‌ । एतत्‌ सर्व सुभगे प्रब्रवीहि यथा लोकान्‌ विरजा: संचरेयम्‌,मैं कैसे और किस समय अग्निमें हवन अथवा उसका पूजन करूँ? क्या करनेसे धर्मका नाश नहीं होता है? सुभगे! तुम ये सारी बातें मुझसे बताओ। जिससे मैं रजोगुणरहित होकर सम्पूर्ण लोकोंमें विचरण करूँ

Transliteration

takṣya uvāca |

kathaṁ vāgnim juhuyāṁ pūjaye vā kasmin kāle kena dharmo na naśyet |

etat sarvaṁ subhage prabravīhi yathā lokān virajāḥ sañcareyam ||

Translation

Takṣya thưa: “Ta phải dâng lễ vật vào lửa thiêng, hay thờ phụng ngọn lửa ấy, như thế nào—và vào lúc nào? Làm gì để dharma không suy hoại? Ôi bậc cát tường, xin hãy nói cho ta tất cả, để ta, thoát khỏi bụi bặm của dục vọng, có thể du hành khắp các cõi trong sự thanh tịnh.”

Word by Word

• {'katham': 'how?', 'vā': 'or', 'agnim (vahnīm)': 'the fire

• the sacred ritual fire (Agni)', 'juhuyām': 'should I offer (oblations) into (the fire)

• perform homa', 'pūjaye': 'should I worship

• honor with rites', 'kasmin kāle': 'at what time

• in which proper occasion', 'kena': 'by what (means)

• through what practice', 'dharmaḥ': 'dharma

• righteous order, duty, right conduct', 'na naśyet': 'would not be destroyed

• would not decline', 'etat sarvam': 'all this', 'subhage': 'O auspicious one

• fair lady', 'prabravīhi': 'tell (me) clearly

• explain', 'yathā': 'so that

• in such a way that', 'lokān': 'worlds

• realms of beings', 'virajāḥ': 'free from rajas (passion/dust)

• stainless, pure', 'sañcareyam': 'I may wander/move about

Speaker

ताक्ष्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Takṣya
• Agni (sacred fire)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a dharmic inquiry: ritual acts like homa and pūjā must be done with proper timing and right method so that dharma is preserved, and the practitioner attains inner purity (freedom from rajas) enabling spiritually elevated movement through the worlds.

What is happening in the narrative?

Takṣya addresses an ‘auspicious lady’ and asks for instruction on correct fire-ritual and worship—when and how to do them—and what conduct prevents the decline of dharma, seeking guidance toward a purified, passionless state.