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Shloka 49

Adhyāya 152 — Bhīṣma’s Authorization for Yudhiṣṭhira’s Return to the Capital (नगरप्रवेशानुज्ञा)

अग्निकार्यपरा नित्यं सदा पुष्पबलिप्रदा । देवतातिथि भृत्यानां निर्वाप्प पतिना सह

agnikāryaparā nityaṃ sadā puṣpabalipradā | devatātithi-bhṛtyānāṃ nirvāpaṃ patinā saha ||

قال ماهيشڤارا: «التي تلازم أعمال النار المقدّسة، وتداوم على تقديم الزهور والقرابين الطقسية، والتي—مع زوجها—تُشبع أولًا الآلهةَ والضيوفَ ومن يعتمدون على البيت بما يستحقّونه من أنصبة الطعام، تُجسِّد نظام البيت القويم. ومثل هذه المرأة، بثمر ساتي-دارما (فضيلة الزوجة الوفية)، تُمنَحُ الأجر والفضل.»

अग्निकार्यपराdevoted to fire-ritual duties
अग्निकार्यपरा:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootअग्निकार्यपर
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
नित्यम्always
नित्यम्:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootनित्य
सदाever
सदा:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसदा
पुष्पबलिप्रदाone who offers flowers and oblations
पुष्पबलिप्रदा:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootपुष्पबलिप्रद
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
देवताऽतिथि-भृत्यानाम्of gods, guests, and dependents/servants
देवताऽतिथि-भृत्यानाम्:
Sampradana
TypeNoun
Rootदेवताऽतिथि-भृत्य
FormMasculine, Genitive, Plural
निर्वापम्satiation; feeding (with food)
निर्वापम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootनिर्वाप
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
पतिनाwith the husband
पतिना:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootपति
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
सहtogether with
सह:
Karana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसह

श्रीमहेश्वर उवाच

Ś
Śrī Maheśvara (speaker)
A
Agni (sacred fire, implied by agnikārya)
D
Devatāḥ (deities)
A
Atithi (guest)
B
Bhṛtyāḥ (dependents/servants)

Educational Q&A

The verse teaches gṛhastha-dharma as an ethical discipline: a virtuous wife (with her husband) sustains the household’s sacred order by maintaining fire-rites, making offerings, honoring guests, and feeding dependents before eating herself—thereby accruing the merit associated with satī-dharma.

In Anuśāsana Parva’s didactic setting, Maheśvara describes the qualities and daily conduct of an exemplary householder woman, emphasizing ritual observance and social responsibility (deities, guests, dependents) as marks of righteous domestic life.