Shloka 14

Nakṣatra-yoga-anusāreṇa Dāna-vidhiḥ

Gifts prescribed according to lunar mansions and yogas

Devanagari script

अपि ते ब्राह्मणा भुक्त्वा गता: सोद्धरणान्‌ गृहान्‌

Transliteration

api te brāhmaṇā bhuktvā gatāḥ soddharaṇān gṛhān

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „Sind die Brāhmaṇen, nachdem sie gespeist haben, bereits in ihre Häuser aufgebrochen—Häuser, die mit Lebensunterhalt und den gebührenden Vorräten versehen sind?“

Word by Word

• अपि: also; even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• ते: of you; your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भुक्त्वा: having eaten
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral here)

• गताः: gone; departed
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स-उद्धरणान्: with (their) removals/collections; with taking-away
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स + उद्धरण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• गृहान्: houses; homes
• गृहान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• brāhmaṇas
• gṛha (homes)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores dharma expressed as proper hospitality: ensuring that brāhmaṇas (honored guests/learned men) are not only fed but also sent off duly satisfied and supported, reflecting ethical responsibility toward dependents and guests.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is asking a checking question about the completion of a righteous act: whether the brāhmaṇas have eaten and then returned to their homes, implying that the host’s duty includes respectful feeding and proper send-off.