Shloka 35

Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa

Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results

Devanagari script

शशाप ज्वलन: सर्वान्‌ द्विरदान्‌ क्रोधमूर्च्छित:

Transliteration

śaśāpa jvalanaḥ sarvān dviradān krodha-mūrcchitaḥ

Translation

قال بهيشما: وقد استبدّ به الغضب حتى فقد زمام نفسه، أطلق جَفَلَنا (إله النار) لعنةً على جميع الفيلة—فعلٌ يُظهر كيف أن السخط إذا غمر التمييز دفع حتى القوة العظمى إلى إفراطٍ في العقاب.

Word by Word

• शशाप: cursed
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप् (शप्/शप्—शापयति/शपति)
• Form: लिट् (Perfect), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ज्वलनः: Jvalana (Fire-god/Agni)
• ज्वलनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्वलन (प्रातिपदिक; अग्नि/ज्वलन-)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वान्: all
• सर्वान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• द्विरदान्: elephants
• द्विरदान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विरद (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• क्रोधमूर्च्छितः: overcome/possessed by anger
• क्रोधमूर्च्छितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: क्रोध-मूर्च्छित (प्रातिपदिक; मूर्च्छित = √मूर्छ् क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Jvalana (Agni, Fire-god)
• Elephants (dvirada)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical danger of krodha (anger): when it overwhelms judgment, it can lead to disproportionate punishment (śāpa), harming many and creating lasting consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma narrates that Jvalana (Agni), overcome by anger, cursed all the elephants—indicating a mythic episode where divine wrath is directed broadly at a class of beings.