Shloka 97

Dama-pradhāna-dharma (Self-restraint as the Root of Dharma) — Śānti-parva 154

Devanagari script

भानुर्यावत्‌ प्रयात्यस्तं यावच्च विमला दिश: । तावदेनं परित्यज्य प्रेतकार्याण्युपासत,जबतक सूर्य डूब नहीं जाते हैं और जबतक दिशाएँ निर्मल हैं, तभीतक इसे यहाँ छोड़कर तुमलोग इसके प्रेतकार्यमें लग जाओ

Transliteration

bhānur yāvat prayāty astaṃ yāvac ca vimalā diśaḥ | tāvad enaṃ parityajya pretakāryāṇy upāsata ||

Translation

„Solange die Sonne noch nicht untergegangen ist und die Himmelsrichtungen klar bleiben, lasst diesen hier einstweilen zurück und vollzieht die dem Verstorbenen gebührenden Totenriten.“

Word by Word

• भानुः: the sun
• भानुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भानु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यावत्: as long as / until
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत्

• प्रयाति: goes / proceeds
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (प्र-या)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular

• अस्तम्: to setting (to the west) / to sunset
• अस्तम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• यावत्: as long as / until
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यावत्

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

• विमलाः: pure / clear
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विमल
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• दिशः: directions (quarters)
• दिशः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दिश्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• तावत्: so long / until then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत्

• एनम्: this one / him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• परित्यज्य: having left / abandoning
• Type: Verb
• Root: त्यज् (परि-त्यज्)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Active

• प्रेतकार्याणि: funeral rites (rites for the departed)
• प्रेतकार्याणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रेतकार्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• उपासत: attend to / perform
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आस्
• Form: Imperative, Second, Plural

Speaker

गृध्र उवाच

Characters & Entities

• गृध्र (Gṛdhra, the vulture)
• भानु (Bhānu, the sun)
• दिशः (the directions/quarters)
• प्रेतकार्याणि (funeral rites)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes dharma as timely obligation: when death has occurred, one should set aside other concerns and promptly perform the prescribed rites for the departed while conditions and time are suitable.

What is happening in the narrative?

Gṛdhra addresses others present, instructing them to leave the body/person in place for the moment and to begin the funeral duties before sunset, while the surroundings remain clear.