Shloka 4

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

Utility Gifts

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच रौद्रें कर्म क्षत्रियस्थ सततं तात वर्तते । तस्य वैतानिकं कर्म दानं चैवेह पावनम्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | raudre karma kṣatriyastha satataṃ tāta vartate | tasya vaitānikaṃ karma dānaṃ caiveha pāvanam ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „Mein Sohn, für den, der im Weg des Kṣatriya fest gegründet ist, sind wilde und harte Handlungen beständig gegenwärtig. Darum sind für ihn die vedischen Opferpflichten und die Übung des Gebens in dieser Welt die reinigenden Taten.“

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• रौद्रे: in/with harsh (violent) [acts]
• रौद्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: रौद्र
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• कर्म: action, duty
• कर्म: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• क्षत्रियस्य: of a Kshatriya
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रिय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• सततम्: always, continually
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत

• तात: dear son
• Type: Noun
• Root: तात
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• वर्तते: exists, proceeds, is engaged (in)
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृत्
• Form: Present, 3, Singular, Atmanepada

• तस्य: of him/that (Kshatriya)
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• वैतानिकम्: Vedic-ritual (pertaining to sacrifice)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वैतानिक
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• कर्म: act, rite
• कर्म: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• दानम्: gift, charity
• दानम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• एव: indeed, only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• इह: here (in this world/context)
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• पावनम्: purifying
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Kshatriya (warrior class)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Kshatriyas inevitably engage in forceful, sometimes violent duties; therefore, they should rely on Vedic sacrificial obligations and charitable giving as key means of inner and moral purification while remaining within their dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma, instructing a younger listener (addressed as ‘tāta’), explains the ethical reality of the warrior’s life and prescribes yajña (Vedic rites) and dāna (charity) as purifying practices for one who must regularly perform harsh actions.