Mahabharata — Shanti Parva, Shloka 14

Nārada’s Darśana of Viśvarūpa Nārāyaṇa and the Caturmūrti Doctrine (नारदस्य नारायणदर्शनं चतुर्मूर्तिविचारश्च)

Devanagari script

जनक उवाच यत्‌ कार्य ब्राह्मणेनेह जन्मप्रभृति तच्छृणु । कृतोपनयनस्तात भवेद्‌ वेदपरायण:

Transliteration

janaka uvāca yat kāryaṃ brāhmaṇeneha janma-prabhṛti tac chṛṇu | kṛtopanayanaḥ tāta bhaved veda-parāyaṇaḥ ||

Translation

阇那迦说道：“亲爱的孩子，且听婆罗门自出生以来在此世应行之事。待行完入门礼（upanayana，授圣线）之后，年轻的婆罗门当全心投入于吠陀的学习与诵持。”

Word by Word

• जनकः: Janaka
• जनकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जनक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यत्: what/that which
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• कार्यम्: duty; what is to be done
• कार्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• ब्राह्मणेन: by a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• इह: here; in this world
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• जन्मप्रभृति: from birth onwards
• जन्मप्रभृति: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: जन्मन् + प्रभृति

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शृणु: hear; listen
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Imperative, 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कृतोपनयनः: having had the upanayana performed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत + उपनयन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तात: dear son
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• भवेत्: should be; should become
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Optative, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• वेदपरायणः: devoted to the Veda; intent on Vedic study
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेद + परायण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

जनक उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Janaka
• Brāhmaṇa
• Upanayana
• Veda

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A brāhmaṇa’s foundational dharma is disciplined learning: after upanayana, he should commit himself to Vedic study and recitation as a primary life-duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

King Janaka is instructing a listener (addressed affectionately as ‘tāta’) about the prescribed duties of a brāhmaṇa, emphasizing the transition after initiation into a life oriented toward the Veda.