Shloka 74
समन्तपञ्चक-आख्यानम् तथा अक्षौहिणी-प्रमाणनिर्णयः
Samantapañcaka Narrative and the Measure of an Akṣauhiṇī
भ्राद्धपर्व ततो ज्ञेयं कुरूणामौर्ध्वदेहिकम् । चार्वाकनिग्रह: पर्व रक्षसो ब्रह्म॒रूपिण:,तत्पश्चात् श्राद्धपर्व है, जिसमें मृत कौरवोंकी अन्त्येष्टिक्रियाका वर्णन है। उसके बाद ब्राह्मण-वेषधारी राक्षस चार्वाकके निग्रहका पर्व है
śrāddha-parva tato jñeyaṁ kurūṇām aurdhva-dehikam | cārvāka-nigrahaḥ parva rakṣaso brahma-rūpiṇaḥ |
Next is to be understood the Śrāddha Parva, describing the post-funeral rites (aurdhva-dehika) performed for the Kurus who have died. After that comes the Parva concerning the suppression of Cārvāka—the rākṣasa who had assumed the guise of a brāhmaṇa—highlighting the need to protect sacred order from deceit that masquerades as holiness.
राम उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores two ethical points: (1) honoring the dead through prescribed rites is a dharmic obligation that sustains social and spiritual continuity; (2) society must remain vigilant against adharma that hides behind the appearance of sanctity, and must restrain harmful deception to protect the integrity of dharma.
The text is outlining upcoming sections: first, a Śrāddha Parva describing the aurdhva-dehika rites for deceased Kurus; next, a parva narrating the subduing of Cārvāka, a rākṣasa who appears in the guise of a brāhmaṇa.