Shloka 18

Śrāddha-Kalpa: Pitṛ-Pūjā and Tithi-Phala (श्राद्धकल्पः पितृपूजा च तिथिफलम्)

Devanagari script

पिण्डो देयो नरेणेह ततो मतिरभून्मम । साक्षान्नेह मनुष्यस्य पिण्डं हि पितर: क्वचित्‌

Transliteration

piṇḍo deyo nareṇeha tato matir abhūn mama | sākṣān neha manuṣyasya piṇḍaṃ hi pitaraḥ kvacit ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: „In dieser Welt soll der Mensch wahrlich den Piṇḍa darbringen, den rituellen Toten-Reisball. Daraus erwuchs meine Überzeugung: In dieser Welt ist der Piṇḍa in direkter, greifbarer Weise zum Nutzen der Pitṛs, der Ahnengeister.“

Word by Word

पिण्डःfuneral offering (rice-ball)

देयःto be given / should be offered

नरेणby a man

इहhere (in this world)

ततःthereupon / then

मतिःthought / understanding

अभूत्arose / became

ममof me / my

साक्षात्directly / manifestly

नnot

इहhere

मनुष्यस्यof a human being

पिण्डम्the (funeral) offering

हिindeed / for

पितरःthe ancestors (pitṛs)

क्वचित्ever / at any time (in any case)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

piṇḍa (funerary offering)

Pitṛs (ancestors)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma affirms the dharmic obligation of offering piṇḍa in śrāddha, emphasizing that such offerings are directly intended for and beneficial to the Pitṛs; neglecting them is a lapse in one’s duty of gratitude and continuity of family dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma is explaining the rationale and efficacy of ancestral rites; he states his settled understanding that piṇḍa-offerings made by humans in this world are meant for the ancestors.