Shloka 8

अत्रेः तपोबलप्रकाशः तथा च्यवनस्य सोमाधिकारः

Atri’s Illumination by Tapas; Cyavana and Soma-Entitlement

Devanagari script

इक्षुतैलपवित्राणां त्रिसंध्ये5प्सु निगनज्जनम्‌

Transliteration

ikṣu-taila-pavitrāṇāṁ tri-sandhye ’psu niganajjanam | gannā, tela aura kuśoṁkā pratigraha svīkāra karane para trikāla snāna karanā cāhiye | dhāna, phūla, phala, jala, pūā, jau-kī lapsī aura dahi-dūdhakā dāna lene para sau bāra gāyatrī-mantrakā japa karanā cāhiye ||

Translation

قال بهيشما: «إذا قبل المرء قصبَ السكر أو الزيت أو عشبَ الدَّربها المقدّس (kuśa) هديةً، فعليه أن يغتسل غُسلَ التطهير في الماء عند مفاصل اليوم الثلاثة: صباحًا وظهرًا ومساءً. وإذا قبل هباتٍ مثل الحبوب والزهور والثمار والماء والحلوى والكُسرة المصنوعة من الدقيق وعصيدة الشعير واللبن الرائب والحليب، فعليه أن يتلو مانترا الغاياتري (Gāyatrī) مئة مرة». وهكذا يجعل بهيشما قبول العطايا (pratigraha) فعلًا منضبطًا لا يتمّ إلا بموازنةٍ من التطهير وتلاوة المانترا، كي يبقى الرزق والتبادل الاجتماعي منسجمين مع الدارما.

Word by Word

• इक्षु: of sugarcane
• इक्षु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: इक्षु
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• तैल: of oil
• तैल: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तैल
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• पवित्राणाम्: of purificatory (items; e.g., kuśa/holy grass etc.)
• पवित्राणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पवित्र
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• त्रिसन्ध्ये: at the three sandhyās (three times of day)
• त्रिसन्ध्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रिसन्ध्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अप्सु: in water
• अप्सु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• निगनत्: one who is bathing/immersing (himself)
• निगनत्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-गम्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular, Śatṛ (present active participle)

• जनम्: a person
• जनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जन
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Gāyatrī mantra
• water (for bathing)
• sugarcane (ikṣu)
• oil (taila)
• kuśa/darbha grass
• grain
• flowers
• fruits
• sweet cakes (pūā)
• barley porridge (lapsī)
• curd
• milk

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Receiving gifts is not morally neutral; it carries responsibility. Bhishma teaches that certain accepted items require compensatory purification—either bathing at the three sandhyās or reciting the Gāyatrī 100 times—so that one’s conduct, livelihood, and ritual integrity remain aligned with dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma is advising Yudhiṣṭhira about proper conduct, specifically the discipline and expiatory practices connected with accepting various kinds of gifts (pratigraha).