Shloka 13

अनुशासनपर्व अध्याय ९३ — तपस्, सदोपवास, विघसाशन, अतिथिप्रियता

Austerity, regulated fasting, residual-eating, and hospitality

Devanagari script

सोमविक्रयिणे विष्ठा भिषजे पूयशोणितम्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | somavikrayiṇe viṣṭhā bhiṣaje pūyaśoṇitam |

Translation

قال بهيشما: «إنّ طعام الشرادها إذا أُعطي لبائع السّوما (soma) صار عند الأسلاف (Pitṛs) كالغائط؛ وإذا أُطعم به طبيبٌ صار كالصديد والدم—غيرَ صالحٍ لتلقّي الأجداد. وكذلك فإنّ عطية الشرادها لمن يقتات من إقامة العبادة في المعابد تُعدّ مهدورة لا ثمرة لها. والطعام المعطى للمرابي ثمَرته غير ثابتة، وما يُعطى في الشرادها للتاجر لا يجلب نفعًا لا في هذه الدنيا ولا في الآخرة.»

Word by Word

• सोमविक्रयिणे: to the seller of soma
• सोमविक्रयिणे: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सोमविक्रयिन्
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• विष्ठा: feces/excrement
• विष्ठा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विष्ठा
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• भिषजे: to a physician
• भिषजे: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भिषज्
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• पूयशोणितम्: pus and blood
• पूयशोणितम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पूयशोणित
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (Bhīṣma)
• Pitrs (Pitṛs)
• Soma
• Physician (Bhiṣaj)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Śrāddha offerings are not merely about giving food; the recipient’s suitability (as defined by dharma-text norms) affects the spiritual efficacy. Bhishma uses stark metaphors to warn that giving śrāddha-food to certain livelihoods is treated as ritually unfit and fruitless for the ancestors.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma is teaching Yudhiṣṭhira about dharma, specifically rules and cautions regarding śrāddha and charitable gifts. This verse lists categories of recipients considered improper for śrāddha, emphasizing consequences for the rite’s intended benefit to the Pitṛs.