Shloka 51

Devanagari script

श्मश्रुकर्मणि मड़ल्यं क्षुतानामभिनन्दनम्‌ । व्याधितानां च सर्वेषामायुषामभिनन्दनम्‌

Transliteration

śmaśrukarmaṇi māṅgalyaṁ kṣutānām abhinandanam | vyādhitānāṁ ca sarveṣām āyuṣām abhinandanam ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „Wenn man Schnurrbart und Bart pflegt, soll man glückverheißende Worte sprechen. Man soll den Niesenden segnen (etwa: ‚Mögest du lange leben‘) und auch alle Kranken mit Segenswünschen grüßen, in der Hoffnung auf ihr langes Leben.“

Word by Word

• श्मश्रु-कर्मणि: in the act of shaving/trimming beard and moustache
• श्मश्रु-कर्मणि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्मश्रु + कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• माङ्गल्यं: auspicious words/benediction
• माङ्गल्यं: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: माङ्गल्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• क्षुतानाम्: of those who have sneezed / of sneezers
• क्षुतानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षुत (ppp of √क्षु/क्षिव् ‘to sneeze’)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अभिनन्दनम्: congratulation/greeting (blessing)
• अभिनन्दनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिनन्दन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• व्याधितानाम्: of the sick/afflicted persons
• व्याधितानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्याधित (ppp of √व्यध्/√व्याध् ‘to afflict, sicken’)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• सर्वेषाम्: of all
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• आयुषाम्: of lifespans / of lives (i.e., long life)
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस्
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• अभिनन्दनम्: congratulation/greeting (with good wishes)
• अभिनन्दनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अभिनन्दन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma teaches sadācāra: everyday acts should be accompanied by auspicious speech and compassionate benedictions—blessing a sneezer and wishing longevity to the sick—so that one’s conduct supports well-being and social harmony.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and proper conduct. Here he lists customary practices of polite, auspicious speech connected with grooming, sneezing, and illness.