Shloka 23

मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity

Devanagari script

सदा द्वादशमासांस्तु जुह्दानो जातवेदसम्‌ | अलुब्ध: सत्यवादी च ब्रह्मण्यश्वाविहिंसक:

Transliteration

sadā dvādaśa-māsāṁs tu juhvāno jātavedasam | alubdhaḥ satyavādī ca brahmaṇyaś cāvihiṁsakaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : « Celui qui, durant les douze mois de l’année, verse sans cesse des oblations dans le feu sacré, Agni (Jātavedas), et qui est sans avidité, véridique, respectueux des brahmanes et de l’ordre védique, et non-violent—celui-là incarne les marques de la conduite juste. »

Word by Word

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• मासान्: months
• मासान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

• जुह्वानः: offering (as oblation), sacrificing
• जुह्वानः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जातवेदसम्: Jātavedas (Agni)
• जातवेदसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जातवेदस्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अलुब्धः: not greedy
• अलुब्धः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अलुब्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सत्यवादी: truth-speaking
• सत्यवादी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्यवादिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• ब्रह्मण्यः: devoted to Brahmins / pious
• ब्रह्मण्यः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ब्रह्मण्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अश्वाविहिंसकः: one who does not harm horses
• अश्वाविहिंसकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अश्व-अविहिंसक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Agni (Jātavedas)
• Brahmins (brāhmaṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Righteous life is defined not only by ritual practice (regular offerings into Agni through the year) but by inner virtues: freedom from greed, commitment to truth, reverence for Brahmins/Vedic dharma, and non-violence.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, in his instruction on dharma in the Anuśāsana Parva, lists qualities and practices that characterize a virtuous person, combining sacrificial discipline with moral restraints.