Shloka 40

तीर्थवंशोपदेशः

Tīrtha-vaṃśa Upadeśa: Instruction on the Fruits of Sacred Waters

Devanagari script

विप्रस्थ रशना मौज्जी मौर्वी राजन्यगामिनी । बाल्वजी होव वैश्यस्य धर्म एष युधिष्ठिर,युधिष्ठिर! उपनयनके समय ब्राह्मणको मूँजकी, क्षत्रियको प्रत्यज्जाकी और वैश्यको शणकी मेखला धारण करनी चाहिये। यही धर्म है

Transliteration

viprasya raśanā mauñjī maurvī rājanyagāminī | bālvajī vāpi vaiśyasya dharma eṣa yudhiṣṭhira ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: „O Yudhishthira, der vorgeschriebene Gürtel (mekhalā) zur Zeit der Initiation (upanayana) besteht für den Brāhmaṇa aus Muñja-Gras, für den Kshatriya aus Bogensehnenfaser (maurvī) und für den Vaishya aus Flachs-/Hanffaser (bālvajī). Dies ist die feststehende Regel des Dharma.“

Word by Word

• विप्रस्य: of a Brahmin
• विप्रस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• रशना: girdle
• रशना: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: रशना
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• मौञ्जी: made of muñja-grass
• मौञ्जी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मौञ्जी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• मौर्वी: a bowstring-like girdle (of murva-fibre)
• मौर्वी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौर्वी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• राजन्यस्य: of a Kshatriya
• राजन्यस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• गामिनी: going/pertaining (i.e., suitable/appropriate)
• गामिनी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गामिनी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• बाल्वजी: a girdle made of flax/hemp (śaṇa etc.)
• बाल्वजी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल्वजी
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• वैश्यस्य: of a Vaishya
• वैश्यस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• धर्मः: duty; prescribed rule
• धर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhishthira
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• brāhmaṇa (vipra)
• kṣatriya (rājanya)
• vaiśya
• mauñjī (muñja-grass girdle)
• maurvī (bowstring-fibre girdle)
• bālvajī (flax/hemp-fibre girdle)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma states a normative dharma-rule for the upanayana rite: each varṇa traditionally wears a specific material girdle, symbolizing disciplined entry into Vedic study and duty appropriate to one’s social role.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma answers Yudhiṣṭhira’s queries by detailing ritual prescriptions; here he specifies the proper initiation girdle materials for brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, and vaiśya.