Shloka 15

Adhyāya 64: Dāna-prakāra—Suvarṇa, Pānīya-dāna, Ghṛta-dāna, and Upakaraṇa-dāna

Utility Gifts

Devanagari script

राजसूयाश्चमेधाभ्यां श्रेयस्तत्‌ क्षत्रियान्‌ प्रति

Transliteration

rājasūyāś ca medhābhyāṃ śreyas tat kṣatriyān prati

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „Für die Kṣatriyas ist dieser Weg das höhere Heil—er übertrifft sogar die Opfer des Rājasūya und des Aśvamedha.“

Word by Word

• राजसूयात्: from the Rājasūya (sacrifice)
• राजसूयात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजसूय
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

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

• मेधाभ्याम्: by/with the two sacrifices (lit. ‘two medhās’)
• मेधाभ्याम्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मेधा
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Dual

• श्रेयः: the better (good/benefit)
• श्रेयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रेयस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• क्षत्रियान्: Kṣatriyas
• क्षत्रियान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• प्रति: towards/with regard to
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Rājasūya (sacrifice)
• Aśvamedha/Medha (great sacrifice)
• Kṣatriyas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma ranks a certain kṣatriya-appropriate duty (the “tat” just mentioned in context) as ethically superior to even the most prestigious royal sacrifices, implying that right conduct and role-based dharma can outweigh ritual grandeur.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma. Here he emphasizes that, for kṣatriyas, the highest welfare lies in the proper fulfillment of their duty, even more than performing celebrated state sacrifices like the Rājasūya and Aśvamedha.