Shloka 28

Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda

Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity

Devanagari script

देवदूत उवाच आनुपूर्व्येण पिण्डानां प्रविभाग: पृथक्‌ पृथक्‌

Transliteration

devadūta uvāca ānupūrvyeṇa piṇḍānāṃ pravibhāgaḥ pṛthak pṛthak

Translation

Der göttliche Bote sprach: „Die Anteile der Totenopfer (piṇḍas) werden getrennt verteilt, ein jeder in seiner rechten Reihenfolge.“

Word by Word

• देवदूतः: the divine messenger
• देवदूतः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवदूत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular

• आनुपूर्व्येण: in due order; sequentially
• आनुपूर्व्येण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आनुपूर्व्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• पिण्डानाम्: of the rice-balls (funeral offerings)
• पिण्डानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• प्रविभागः: distribution; division
• प्रविभागः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रविभाग
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पृथक्: separately
• पृथक्: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक्

• पृथक्: each separately
• पृथक्: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पृथक्

Speaker

देवदूत उवाच

Characters & Entities

• देवदूत (Devadūta)
• पिण्ड (Piṇḍa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ritual duty (dharma) is not merely the act itself but its correct procedure: offerings to ancestors should be apportioned distinctly and performed in the prescribed sequence, reflecting discipline, respect, and ethical seriousness toward the departed.

What is happening in the narrative?

A divine messenger is explaining the proper method of handling piṇḍa-offerings in ancestral rites, emphasizing that the portions are to be distributed separately and in order—an instruction within the Anuśāsana Parva’s broader guidance on dharma and conduct.