Shloka 4

अध्याय १३२ — कर्मणा मनसा वाचा: स्वर्गमार्गः तथा आयुर्विपाकः

Adhyāya 132 — The path to heaven through deed, mind, and speech; karmic results for lifespan

Devanagari script

दन्तकाष्ठ॑ तु यः खादेदमावास्यामबुद्धिमान्‌ | हिंसितश्रन्द्रमास्तेन पितरश्रोद्धिजन्ति च

Transliteration

dantakāṣṭhaṁ tu yaḥ khāded amāvāsyām abuddhimān | hiṁsitaś candramās tena pitaraś codvijanti ca ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dijo: El necio que usa un palillo para los dientes (dantakāṣṭha) en el día de Amāvāsyā (luna nueva) comete una falta que se dice hiere a la Luna; y los Pitṛs, los espíritus ancestrales, también se inquietan por tal conducta.

Word by Word

• दन्तकाष्ठम्: tooth-stick (wood for cleaning teeth)
• दन्तकाष्ठम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दन्तकाष्ठ
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• खादेत्: should eat/chew
• Type: Verb
• Root: खाद्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अमावास्याम्: on the new-moon day (Amavasya)
• अमावास्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• अबुद्धिमान्: unintelligent, foolish
• अबुद्धिमान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अबुद्धिमत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हिंसितः: is harmed/has been harmed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हिंसित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• चन्द्रमाः: the Moon
• चन्द्रमाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चन्द्रमस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तेन: by him/thereby
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• पितरः: the ancestors (Pitrs)
• पितरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• उद्विजन्ति: become distressed/alarmed
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद् + विज्
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Plural, Parasmaipada

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

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Candramā (Moon)
• Pitaraḥ (Pitṛs/ancestors)
• Amāvāsyā
• Dantakāṣṭha (tooth-stick)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Maintain ritual restraint on Amāvāsyā: avoid acts considered improper for that tithi, since they are believed to disturb cosmic and ancestral order—symbolized here by ‘harm to the Moon’ and displeasure of the Pitṛs.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, instructing on dharma and observances, states a specific rule: using a tooth-stick on the new-moon day is censured, and its consequence is framed as offense against Candramā and disturbance to the Pitṛs.