Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 20

Devanagari script

कृष्णेन भरतस्त्रीभियें च पौरा: समागता: । उदकं चक्रिरे चैव गाज़ेयस्य महात्मन:

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

kṛṣṇena bharatastrībhiś ca paurāḥ samāgatāḥ |

udakaṃ cakrire caiva gāṅgeyasyā mahātmanaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana said: Accompanied by Kṛṣṇa, the women of the Bharata lineage and the citizens assembled together, and they duly performed the water-offering rites for the great-souled son of the Gaṅgā (Bhīṣma).

Word by Word

• कृष्णेन: by Krishna
• कृष्णेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• भरतस्त्रीभिः: by the Bharata women
• भरतस्त्रीभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरतस्त्री
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

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

• पौराः: the citizens
• पौराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• समागताः: having assembled / gathered
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-गम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• उदकम्: water
• उदकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• चक्रिरे: they performed / they offered
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Plural, Ātmanepada

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

• एव: indeed / just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• गाङ्गेयस्य: of/for the son of Ganga (Bhishma)
• गाङ्गेयस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाङ्गेय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kṛṣṇa
• Bharata women (Kuru women)
• Paurāḥ (citizens)
• Gāṅgeya (Bhīṣma)
• Udaka (water-offering)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma expressed as honoring the departed through prescribed rites and communal participation—showing gratitude to elders and upholding social-ritual responsibility even after conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Bhīṣma (Gāṅgeya) has passed, Kṛṣṇa, the Kuru women, and the citizens gather and perform the udaka-offering (water oblations) as part of the funeral/ancestral rites for him.