Shloka 2

पात्रलक्षण-परिक्षा (Pātra-Lakṣaṇa Parīkṣā) — Criteria for a Worthy Recipient

Devanagari script

एते भोगैरलड्कारैरन्यैश्वैव किमिच्छकै: । सदा पूज्या नमस्कारै रक्ष्याश्व॒ पितृवन्नूपै:

Transliteration

ete bhogair alaṅkārair anyaiś caiva kim icchakaiḥ | sadā pūjyā namaskāraiḥ rakṣyāś ca pitṛvan nṛpaiḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma dijo: «¿Qué necesidad tienen ellos de placeres, ornamentos o cualesquiera otras posesiones deseadas? Deben ser honrados siempre con salutaciones, y los reyes han de protegerlos como se protege al propio padre».

Word by Word

एतेthese (persons)

भोगैःwith enjoyments/pleasures

अलङ्कारैःwith ornaments/adornments

अन्यैःwith other (things)

चand

एवindeed/just

किम्what

इच्छकैःby/with desirers; those who wish

सदाalways

पूज्याःto be honored/worthy of worship

नमस्कारैःwith salutations

रक्ष्याःto be protected

चand

पितृवत्like a father; as (one treats) a father

नृपैःby kings

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

nṛpa (kings/rulers)

pitṛ (father, as a standard of reverence)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma teaches that certain venerable persons should not be approached primarily through material gifts or pleasures; rather, they deserve continual reverence (namaskāra) and active protection by rulers, with the same seriousness as one protects one’s own father.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on conduct and duties, Bhīṣma addresses the kingly obligation to uphold dharma by honoring and safeguarding those who are worthy of special respect, emphasizing reverence and protection over material inducements.