Shloka 113

Nāradasya Rājadharma-praśnāḥ

Nārada’s Examination of Royal Ethics

Devanagari script

नारद उवाच अग्निहोत्रफला वेदा दत्तभुक्तफलं धनम्‌ | रतिपुत्रफला दारा: शीलवृत्तफलं श्रुतम्‌

Transliteration

nārada uvāca | agnihotra-phalā vedā datta-bhukta-phalaṃ dhanam | rati-putra-phalā dārāḥ śīla-vṛtta-phalaṃ śrutam ||

Translation

那罗陀说道：“大王啊，吠陀之果在于行阿耆尼火供（Agnihotra）。财富唯有用于布施与如法受用，方成其义。妻之果在于夫妇和合之乐，并得子嗣（男嗣）。而经学之果，在于品行端正与操守清白。”

Word by Word

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अग्निहोत्रफलाः: having agnihotra as (their) fruit
• अग्निहोत्रफलाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्निहोत्रफल
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वेदाः: the Vedas
• वेदाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• दत्तभुक्तफलम्: having giving and enjoyment as (its) fruit
• दत्तभुक्तफलम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दत्तभुक्तफल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• धनम्: wealth
• धनम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• रतिपुत्रफलाः: having pleasure and sons as (their) fruit
• रतिपुत्रफलाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रतिपुत्रफल
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• दाराः: wives
• दाराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दार
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शीलवृत्तफलम्: having good conduct and right behavior as (its) fruit
• शीलवृत्तफलम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शीलवृत्तफल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• श्रुतम्: learning; sacred knowledge
• श्रुतम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nārada
• King (Rājan)
• Agnihotra
• Vedas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Nārada defines the proper ‘fruit’ (meaningful fulfillment) of key human pursuits: scripture is fulfilled by disciplined ritual (Agnihotra), wealth by generosity and rightful enjoyment, marriage by conjugal harmony and progeny, and learning by moral character and good conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Sabha Parva context, Nārada addresses a king and offers a didactic summary of how different domains—Vedic study, wealth, household life, and learning—should culminate in concrete dharmic outcomes rather than remaining merely theoretical or unused.