Shloka 38

Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्

Devanagari script

हैमानीमानि जानीम: प्रतिबुद्धा: सम जागृूम । इह होतदुपादत्तं प्रेत्य स्पात्‌ कटुकोदयम्‌ । अप्रतिग्राह्ममेवैतत्‌ प्रेत्पेह च सुखेप्सुना,वे सभी फल भारी हो गये थे, इस बातको महर्षि अत्रि ताड़ गये और बोले--ये “गूलर हमारे लेने योग्य नहीं हैं। हमारी बुद्धि मन्द नहीं हुई है। हमारी ज्ञानशक्ति लुप्त नहीं हुई है। हम सो नहीं रहे हैं, जागते हैं। हमें अच्छी तरह ज्ञात है कि इनके भीतर सुवर्ण भरा पड़ा है। यदि आज हम इन्हें स्वीकार कर लेते हैं तो परलोकमें हमें इनका कटु परिणाम भोगना पड़ेगा। जो इहलोक और परलोकमें भी सुख चाहता हो उसके लिये यह फल अग्राह्म है!

Transliteration

haimānīmāni jānīmaḥ pratibuddhāḥ sama jāgṛmaḥ | iha hotadupādattaṃ pretya syāt kaṭukodayam | apratigrahyaṃ evaitat pretyeha ca sukhepsunā ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “We recognize these as golden (within). We are fully awake and alert; our understanding has not dimmed. We know well that gold is concealed inside these fruits. If we accept them here and now, their consequence will ripen bitterly after death. Therefore this is not fit to be accepted as a gift by one who seeks well-being and happiness both in this world and the next.”

Word by Word

हैमानीgolden (things)

इमानिthese

जानीमःwe know

प्रतिबुद्धाःfully awakened

सम्completely, well

जागृमःwe are awake

इहhere, in this world

होतत्(unclear reading; likely part of sandhi for 'यद्/एतद्')

उपादत्तम्taken, accepted

प्रेत्यafter death, having departed

स्यात्would be

कटुकोदयम्bitter result/fruit (arising later)

अप्रतिग्राह्यम्not to be accepted

एवindeed, only

एतत्this

प्रेत्यafter death

इहhere (in this world)

चand

सुखेप्सुनाby/for one desiring happiness

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

gold (suvarṇa/haima)

fruits (gūlara/udumbara implied by context)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even if a gift is materially valuable, it should be refused when it is ethically tainted or improperly offered; accepting such wealth brings a bitter karmic consequence, harming welfare in both this life and the next.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the episode referenced, sages discern that seemingly ordinary fruits conceal gold. They declare themselves fully aware and refuse to accept them, warning that taking such a gift would lead to painful results after death; thus it is deemed ‘not acceptable’ for one seeking true happiness.