Shloka 48

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

Devanagari script

कुक्कुटाश्व वराहाश्न राक्षसा भृगुनन्दन । इडा गाव: पय: सोमो भूमिरित्येव च स्मृति:,'भगुनन्दन! हाथी और मृग नागोंके अंश हैं। भैंसे असुरोंके अंश हैं। मुर्गा और सूअर राक्षसोंके अंश हैं इडा--गौ, दुग्ध और सोम--ये सब भूमिरूप ही हैं। ऐसी स्मृति है

Transliteration

kukkutāśva-varāhāś ca rākṣasā bhṛgunandana | iḍā gāvaḥ payaḥ somo bhūmir ity eva ca smṛtiḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: „O Wonne der Bhṛgus, Hahn, Pferd und Eber gelten als von Rākṣasa-Natur. Und wie es die Überlieferung bewahrt: iḍā, die Kühe, die Milch und Soma sind allesamt als Gestalten der Erde selbst zu verstehen.“

Word by Word

कुक्कुटाःcocks/roosters

अश्वाःhorses

वराहाःboars

राक्षसाःRakshasas/demons

भृगुनन्दनO descendant/delight of Bhrigu

इडाIdā (a name; here identified with cow/earthly nourishment)

गावःcows

पयःmilk

सोमःSoma (the soma-juice / Soma)

भूमिःearth

इतिthus

एवindeed/just

चand

स्मृतिःtradition/Smriti; remembered doctrine

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Bhṛgunandana (a Bhṛgu-descendant sage, addressee)

Rākṣasas

Iḍā

cows

milk

Soma

Earth (Bhūmi)

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 presents a traditional (smṛti-based) classification: certain animals are associated with rākṣasa-like qualities, while Iḍā, cows, milk, and Soma are affirmed as manifestations of Earth’s sustaining power—highlighting how dharma-texts read moral and ritual meaning into the natural world.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhishma continues instructing a sage of the Bhṛgu lineage, citing remembered tradition to explain symbolic origins/affiliations of creatures and to connect key ritual-nourishing elements (cows, milk, Soma, Iḍā) with the Earth.