Shloka 24

Nakula’s Counsel on Yajña, Dāna, and Tyāga (नकुलोपदेशः—यज्ञदानत्यागविचारः)

Devanagari script

स्वाध्याययज्ञा ऋषयो ज्ञानयज्ञास्तथा परे | अथापरे महायज्ञान्‌ मनस्येव वितन्वते

Transliteration

svādhyāya-yajñā ṛṣayo jñāna-yajñās tathā pare | athāpare mahā-yajñān manasyeva vitanvate ||

Translation

那俱罗说道：“在诸仙之中，有的以诵习吠陀（自学，svādhyāya）为祭；有的专志于知识之祭。还有一些人不事外相，却在自心之内以观照默修，展开宏大的祭祀。”

Word by Word

• स्वाध्याययज्ञाः: performers of the sacrifice consisting in self-study
• स्वाध्याययज्ञाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाध्याय-यज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ज्ञानयज्ञाः: performers of the sacrifice of knowledge
• ज्ञानयज्ञाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्ञान-यज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• तथा: likewise/and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• परे: others
• परे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अथ: then/and now
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अथ

• अपरे: still others
• अपरे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• महायज्ञान्: great sacrifices
• महायज्ञान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-यज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• मनसि: in the mind
• मनसि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• वितन्वते: they extend/spread out
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-तन्
• Form: Present, Atmanepada, Third, Plural

Speaker

नकुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nakula
• ṛṣayaḥ (sages)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that ‘yajña’ is not limited to external ritual: it includes disciplined Vedic study (svādhyāya), the pursuit of liberating knowledge (jñāna), and purely inward worship through mental contemplation. Different temperaments follow different legitimate paths of sacred practice.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nakula is describing the varied spiritual disciplines practiced by sages—classifying them into those focused on Vedic recitation and study, those centered on knowledge and insight, and those who perform great ‘sacrifices’ internally through meditation—thereby broadening the understanding of religious duty beyond outward rites.