Shloka 30

Adhyāya 223: Nāradasya Guṇa-kathana

Catalogue of Nārada’s Virtues

Devanagari script

त्वं तु प्राकृतया बुद्धया पुरन्दर विकत्थसे । यदाहमिव भावी स्यास्तदा नैव॑ वदिष्यसि

Transliteration

tvaṃ tu prākṛtayā buddhyā purandara vikatthase | yadāham iva bhāvī syās tadā naiva vadiṣyasi ||

Translation

然而你啊，普兰达罗，却在粗鄙世俗的心智驱使下夸耀。待你落到如我这般境地时，你便绝不会再如此言说。

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• प्राकृतया: with ordinary/common
• प्राकृतया: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राकृत
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• बुद्धया: with intellect/understanding
• बुद्धया: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुद्धि
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• पुरन्दर: O Purandara (Indra)
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरन्दर
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, सम्बोधन, एकवचन

• विकत्थसे: you boast/brag
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि + कथ्
• Form: लट्, आत्मनेपद, मध्यम, एकवचन

• यत्: that/inasmuch as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यद्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इव: like/as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• भावी: one who will be / future (person)
• भावी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भविष्यत्/भाविन् (भू-धातुजन्य)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• स्यात्: would be/might be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: विधिलिङ्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम, एकवचन

• तदा: then/at that time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

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

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

• वदिष्यसि: you will speak/say
• Type: Verb
• Root: वद्
• Form: लृट्, परस्मैपद, मध्यम, एकवचन

Speaker

(भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Purandara (Indra)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse warns against pride born of superficial or ‘worldly’ understanding. True judgment arises from lived experience and empathy; when one faces the same hardship, boastful speech naturally falls away.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma addresses Indra (Purandara), rebuking him for speaking boastfully from a limited perspective. Bhishma implies that Indra’s tone would change if he were to undergo the same condition or suffering that Bhishma has endured.