Shloka 29
Adhyāya 287 — Janaka’s Inquiry on Śreyas, Abhayadāna, and Asaṅga
Non-attachment
Devanagari script
अनब्रुवन् वाति सुरभिर्गन्ध: सुमनसां शुचि: । तथैवाव्याहरन् भाति विमलो भानुरम्बरे
Transliteration
anabruvan vāti surabhir gandhaḥ sumanasāṃ śuciḥ | tathaivāvyāharan bhāti vimalaḥ bhānur ambare ||
Translation
那罗陀说道：“不发一言，花朵清净可喜的芬芳也随风远播；同样，不自我宣告，无垢的太阳亦在苍穹中光耀。”其旨在于：真正的卓越与德行无需自我宣传；它们自会以自然的效应显现于世。
Word by Word
अनब्रुवन्not speaking (they do not speak)
अनब्रुवन्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootअन् + ब्रू (धातु)
Formलट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम, बहुवचन
वातिblows / wafts
वाति:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootवा (धातु)
Formलट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम, एकवचन
सुरभिःfragrant
सुरभिः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसुरभि
Formस्त्रीलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
गन्धःfragrance
गन्धः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootगन्ध
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
सुमनसाम्of flowers
सुमनसाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootसुमनस्
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, षष्ठी, बहुवचन
शुचिःpure
शुचिः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootशुचि
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
तथाthus / likewise
तथा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतथा
एवindeed / just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
अव्याहरन्not uttering (they do not speak out)
अव्याहरन्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootअन् + व्याहृ (धातु)
Formलट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम, बहुवचन
भातिshines
भाति:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootभा (धातु)
Formलट्, परस्मैपद, प्रथम, एकवचन
विमलःspotless / pure
विमलः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootविमल
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
भानुःthe sun
भानुः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootभानु
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
अम्बरेin the sky
अम्बरे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootअम्बर
Formनपुंसकलिङ्ग, सप्तमी, एकवचन
Speaker
नारद उवाच
Characters & Entities
N
NāradaB
bhānu (the Sun)A
ambara (the sky)S
sumanas (flowers)G
gandha (fragrance)V
vāta (wind, implied by vāti)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Genuine merit does not need proclamation. Like a flower’s scent and the sun’s light, true virtue and excellence become known through their natural, beneficial effects rather than through self-praise.
Nārada offers a moral illustration using two natural images—fragrance carried by the wind and the sun shining in the sky—to counsel that the best qualities reveal themselves quietly and unmistakably.