Shloka 9

स्त्रीस्वभावप्रश्नः — Nārada and Pañcacūḍā on Strī-svabhāva

Anuśāsana-parva 38

Devanagari script

हुत्वा चाहवनीयस्थं महाभाग्ये प्रतिष्ठिता: । अग्रभोज्या: प्रसूतीनां श्रिया ब्राह्म॒यानुकल्पिता:

Transliteration

hutvā cāhavanīyasthaṃ mahābhāgye pratiṣṭhitāḥ | agrabhojyāḥ prasūtīnāṃ śriyā brāhmyānukalpitāḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “Having offered oblations that satisfy the deities abiding in the Āhavanīya fire, they become established in a state of great auspicious fortune. Shaped and ennobled by brahmic discipline and sacred knowledge, they are deemed worthy of precedence in honor—entitled to be served first, even before one’s own children.”

Word by Word

• {'hutvā': 'having offered (as oblation), having sacrificed', 'ca': 'and', 'āhavanīya-stham': 'situated in the Āhavanīya (sacrificial) fire

• the deities associated with it', 'mahā-bhāgye': 'in great good fortune, high auspiciousness', 'pratiṣṭhitāḥ': 'established, firmly set, elevated', 'agra-bhojyāḥ': 'to be fed first

• deserving the first portion/honor', 'prasūtīnām': 'of offspring/children (lit. ‘those born’)

• of one’s progeny', 'śriyā': 'by prosperity, splendor, auspicious fortune (Śrī)', 'brāhmyā': 'brahmic

• pertaining to Brahman/Brāhmaṇa discipline and sacred learning', 'anukalpitāḥ': 'fashioned, made fit, properly constituted/qualified'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Āhavanīya fire (āhavanīyāgni)
• Deities (devatā-gaṇa, implied)
• Śrī (prosperity/auspicious fortune)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse links ritual responsibility and sacred learning with social ethics: those who uphold Vedic sacrifice and brahmic discipline become worthy of honor and precedence, reflecting a dharmic ideal of respecting spiritual merit and properly ordering hospitality.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma is instructing on dharma in the Anuśāsana Parva, describing the fruits of offering oblations into the Āhavanīya fire—satisfying the deities and attaining auspicious standing—and stating that such qualified persons are to be honored with the first share of food.