Shloka 7

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

Devanagari script

वित्तानि धर्मलब्धानि क्रतुमुख्येष्ववासृजन्‌,महाराज! जो धर्मसे प्राप्त किये हुए धनका श्रेष्ठ यज्ञोमें उपयोग करता है और अपने मनको वशमें रखता है, वह मनुष्य त्यागी माना गया है

Transliteration

vittāni dharmalabdhāni kratumukhyeṣv avāsṛjan | mahārāja! yo dharmase prāpta kiye hue dhan kā śreṣṭha yajñoṃ meṃ upayog kartā hai aura apne man ko vaś meṃ rakhtā hai, vah manuṣya tyāgī mānā gayā hai |

Translation

那俱罗说道：“大王啊，凡以正法所得之财，施用于最上等的祭祀，又能摄伏其心者，方可称为真正的出离者——因为他的布施立基于法，而内在的冲动亦已被调御。”

Word by Word

• वित्तानि: wealths, riches
• वित्तानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: वित्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• धर्मलब्धानि: obtained through dharma (righteously acquired)
• धर्मलब्धानि: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्म-लब्ध
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• क्रतुमुख्येषु: in the chief sacrifices
• क्रतुमुख्येषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्रतु-मुख्य
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• अवासृजन्: they expended/they offered/they let go (spent)
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव-√सृज्
• Form: Imperfect (Lan), 3rd, Plural

• महाराज: O great king
• Type: Noun
• Root: महा-राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

नकुल उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Nakula
• Mahārāja (the king addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True renunciation is not merely abandoning possessions; it is using righteously earned wealth for sacred and socially sustaining purposes (like major yajñas) while maintaining mastery over the mind. Ethical acquisition plus disciplined giving defines the tyāgī.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nakula addresses the king and offers a criterion for who should be considered a renouncer: one who channels dharma-earned resources into the highest sacrificial duties and restrains the mind, aligning outer action with inner discipline.