Shloka 4

नक्षत्रेषु श्राद्धफलविधानम् (Śrāddha Outcomes According to Nakṣatras)

Devanagari script

एतदिच्छाम्यहं श्रोतु त्वत्त: कुरुकुलोदवह । कार्त्स्न्येन तारकवर्ध॑ परं कौतूहलं हि मे

Transliteration

etad icchāmy ahaṃ śrotuṃ tvattaḥ kurukulodvaha | kārtsnyena tāraṇavardha paraṃ kautūhalaṃ hi me ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: „Dies ist es, was ich von dir zu hören wünsche, o Vornehmster aus dem Geschlecht der Kuru. Berichte es mir vollständig und in allen Einzelheiten, o Mehrer der Erlösung — denn meine Neugier in dieser Sache ist sehr groß.“

Word by Word

• एतत्: this (matter)
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• इच्छामि: I wish/desire
• इच्छामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष् (इच्छ्)
• Form: Present, 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• श्रोतुम्: to hear
• श्रोतुम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु
• Form: Tumun (infinitive), Active

• त्वत्तः: from you
• त्वत्तः: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: —, Ablative, Singular

• कुरुकुलोद्वह: O bearer/ornament of the Kuru lineage
• कुरुकुलोद्वह: Sampradana
• Type: Noun (vocative epithet)
• Root: कुरुकुल-उद्वह
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• कार्त्स्न्येन: in full; completely
• कार्त्स्न्येन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्त्स्न्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• तारकवर्ध: O increaser of the Tāraka (race/lineage) (epithet)
• तारकवर्ध: Sampradana
• Type: Noun (vocative epithet)
• Root: तारक-वर्ध
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• परम्: great; supreme
• परम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कौतूहलम्: curiosity; eagerness to know
• कौतूहलम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौतूहल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed; for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• मे: my; for me
• मे: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Kuru lineage (Kuru-kula)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse models the dharmic posture of learning: a ruler seeks guidance with humility, requesting a complete account from an authoritative elder/teacher, driven by sincere ethical curiosity rather than argument.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira addresses his revered instructor (implicitly Bhīṣma in this parva’s teaching setting), asking him to explain the previously mentioned topic fully, because he is deeply eager to understand it.