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Shloka 12

अलोभोपाख्यानम् — शुनःसख-यातुधानी-संवादः

The Allegory of Non-Greed: Śunaḥsakha and the Yātudhānī

निवप्ते चाग्निपूर्व वै निवापे पुरुषर्षभ । न ब्रह्ाराक्षसास्तं वै निवापं धर्षयन्त्युत,पुरुषप्रवर! अग्निमें हवन करनेके बाद जो पितरोंके निमित्त पिण्डदान दिया जाता है, उसे ब्रह्मराक्षस दूषित नहीं करते

nivapte cāgnipūrva vai nivāpe puruṣarṣabha | na brahmarākṣasās taṁ vai nivāpaṁ dharṣayanty uta puruṣapravara ||

قال بهيشما: «يا ثورَ الرجال، يا أكرمَ الناس: إذا قُدِّمَت القُربانُ الجنائزيّة (nivāpa) بعد أن يُقدَّم أولًا في النار المقدّسة، فإن تلك القُربانَ المكرَّسة للپِتْرِس لا يعتدي عليها ولا يلوّثها البراهماراكساسا (brahmarākṣasa). وهكذا تبقى الشعائرُ التي تُؤدَّى وفق الترتيب الفيدي—النار أولًا ثم قربانُ الأسلاف—محفوظةً نافذةَ الأثر.»

निवप्तेhas been offered/scattered (as an offering)
निवप्ते:
TypeVerb
Rootनि√वप्
FormPerfect (Paroksha), 3, Singular, Parasmaipada
and
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
अग्निपूर्वेwhen preceded by fire (i.e., after the fire-offering)
अग्निपूर्वे:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootअग्निपूर्व
FormMasculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular
वैindeed
वै:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै
निवापेin the piṇḍa-offering (to the Pitṛs)
निवापे:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootनिवाप
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
पुरुषर्षभO bull among men
पुरुषर्षभ:
TypeNoun
Rootपुरुषर्षभ
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
ब्रह्मराक्षसाःbrahma-rākṣasas (a class of malignant spirits)
ब्रह्मराक्षसाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootब्रह्मराक्षस
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
तम्that
तम्:
Karma
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
वैindeed
वै:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै
निवापम्the piṇḍa-offering
निवापम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootनिवाप
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
धर्षयन्तिthey violate/defile/assail
धर्षयन्ति:
TypeVerb
Root√धृष्
FormPresent, 3, Plural, Parasmaipada
उतalso/indeed
उत:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootउत
पुरुषप्रवरO best of men
पुरुषप्रवर:
TypeNoun
Rootपुरुषप्रवर
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
B
brahmarākṣasa
A
Agni
P
Pitṛs
N
nivāpa (ancestral offering/piṇḍa)

Educational Q&A

If the ancestral offering (nivāpa/piṇḍa) is performed in the proper Vedic sequence—after first making an offering into Agni—then hostile forces like brahmarākṣasas cannot defile it; correct ritual order safeguards purity and efficacy.

In Bhīṣma’s instruction on dharma and śrāddha-related rites, he reassures the listener that a nivāpa offered for the Pitṛs, when preceded by fire-offering, remains protected from malevolent interference.