Shloka 9

नहुषोपाख्यानम्—दीपदान-धूप-बलीकर्म-प्रशंसा

Nahūṣa Episode and the Commendation of Lamp-Gifting and Household Offerings

Devanagari script

स्‍्नानेनाद्धिश्न यत्‌ कर्म क्रियते वै विपश्चिता । नमस्कारप्रयुक्तेन तेन प्रीयन्ति देवता:

Transliteration

snānenāddhiśna yat karma kriyate vai vipaścitā | namaskāra-prayuktena tena prīyanti devatāḥ |

Translation

Bhishma said: “Whatever rite a wise person performs after bathing, when it is accompanied by reverent salutations, pleases the gods. Such acts—like offerings of water and related observances—when done with proper respect and procedure, bring harmony and auspiciousness to one’s household worship.”

Word by Word

• {'snānena': 'by bathing

• after bathing (instrumental of snāna)', 'yat': 'whatever

• that which', 'karma': 'ritual act

• rite', 'kriyate': 'is performed

• is done', 'vai': 'indeed

• certainly (emphatic particle)', 'vipaścitā': 'by the wise

• by one of discernment', 'namaskāra': 'salutation

• homage', 'prayuktena': 'accompanied/connected with

• employed with (instrumental of prayukta)', 'tena': 'by that

• thereby', 'prīyanti': 'are pleased

• become satisfied', 'devatāḥ': 'the gods

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Devatāḥ (gods/divine beings)
• Snāna (ritual bath)
• Namaskāra (salutation)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ritual actions gain their full religious efficacy when grounded in purity (bathing) and performed with reverence (namaskāra); such respectful observance is said to please the gods.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he explains that a wise person’s post-bath rites—done with salutations—are pleasing to the divine, emphasizing proper attitude and procedure in daily worship.