Shloka 25

Tilā-Dāna, Dīpa-Dāna, and Nitya-Jalapradāna

Yama–Brāhmaṇa Saṃvāda) | तिलदान-दीपदान-नित्यजलप्रदान (यम-ब्राह्मण संवाद

Devanagari script

अथ पूर्वास्वषाढासु दधिपात्राण्युपोषित: । कुलवृत्तोपसम्पन्ने ब्राह्मणे वेदपारगे

Transliteration

atha pūrvāṣāḍhāsu dadhipātrāṇy upoṣitaḥ | kulavṛttopasampanne brāhmaṇe vedapārage

Translation

Nārada sprach: „Dann, am Tage der Pūrvāṣāḍhā, nachdem er gefastet und (zubereitet) Gefäße mit geronnener Milch bereitet hatte, trat er an einen Brahmanen heran, der durch gute Familienzucht und gefestigte Überlieferung ausgezeichnet war und die Veden durchdrungen hatte.“

Word by Word

अथthen/now

पूर्वासुin the earlier (ones)

आषाढासुin (the nakshatra) Āṣāḍhās

दधिcurd/yogurt

पात्राणिvessels/bowls

उपोषितःhaving fasted / having observed a fast

कुलवृत्तोपसम्पन्नेin/with a (person) endowed with good family conduct

ब्राह्मणेin/with a Brahmin

वेदपारगेin/with one who has mastered the Veda

Speaker

नारद उवाच

Characters & Entities

Nārada

Pūrvāṣāḍhā (nakṣatra)

curd (dadhi)

vessels (pātra)

a Brāhmaṇa learned in the Vedas

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharmic discipline: observing a fast and directing offerings toward a worthy recipient—one grounded in good conduct and Vedic learning—so that religious acts are guided by purity of practice and discernment in choosing the proper person.

What is happening in the narrative?

Nārada describes a sequence of ritual action: at the auspicious time associated with the Pūrvāṣāḍhā nakṣatra, a person fasts and prepares vessels of curd, then goes to a Brāhmaṇa renowned for exemplary family conduct and mastery of the Vedas, presumably to perform a prescribed offering or charitable rite.