Shloka 15

Devanagari script

ततो<सस्‍्य विधिवच्चक्रुः पितृमेधं महात्मन:

Transliteration

tato 'sya vidhivac cakruḥ pitṛmedhaṃ mahātmanaḥ | apasavyam akurvanta dhṛtarāṣṭramukhāśritāḥ ||

Translation

Darauf vollzogen sie ordnungsgemäß das Totenritual (pitṛmedha) für den großherzigen Bhīṣma. Unter der Führung Dhṛtarāṣṭras und der Vornehmsten unter den Kaurava befolgten sie die vorgeschriebenen Handlungen, einschließlich der rituellen Umkreisung in entgegengesetzter Richtung, wie sie bei Begräbniszeremonien geboten ist. So ehrten sie in feierlicher Rechtschaffenheit den gefallenen Ältesten und bekräftigten den Dharma durch korrektes Ritual trotz der Verwüstungen des Krieges.

Word by Word

• ततः: then/thereafter
• ततः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ततः

• अस्य: of him
• अस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• विधिवत्: according to rule/properly
• विधिवत्: Karana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत्

• चक्रुः: they performed/did
• चक्रुः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural

• पितृमेधम्: funeral rite (pitr̥medha)
• पितृमेधम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृमेध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled one
• महात्मनः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अपसव्यम्: counterclockwise (keeping the left side towards)
• अपसव्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपसव्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अकुर्वन्त: they did/they performed
• अकुर्वन्त: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Plural

• धृतराष्ट्रमुखाश्रिताम्: attended/undertaken by Dhṛtarāṣṭra and the rest (lit. ‘resting on Dhṛtarāṣṭra as foremost’)
• धृतराष्ट्रमुखाश्रिताम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धृतराष्ट्र-मुख-आश्रित
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Bhīṣma
• Pāṇḍavas
• Dhṛtarāṣṭra
• Kauravas
• pitṛmedha (funerary rite)
• funeral pyre (citā)
• fire (agni)
• oblations (āhuti)
• Sāma-chanters (Sāmaga brāhmaṇas)
• sandalwood (candana)
• black sandalwood (kālācandana)
• fragrant substances (sugandhi-dravya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even after catastrophic conflict, dharma is upheld through proper conduct toward elders and the dead: performing prescribed rites with sincerity restores moral order, expresses gratitude, and affirms social and spiritual responsibility beyond personal enmity.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Bhīṣma’s passing, the Pāṇḍavas and Kauravas—led by Dhṛtarāṣṭra—carry out his funerary rites in full accordance with ritual law, including the apasavya (counterclockwise) movement appropriate to funeral ceremonies, along with offerings into fire and Vedic chanting.