Shloka 20

Devanagari script

कृष्णेन भरतस्त्रीभियें च पौरा: समागता: । उदकं चक्रिरे चैव गाज़ेयस्य महात्मन:

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

kṛṣṇena bharatastrībhiś ca paurāḥ samāgatāḥ |

udakaṃ cakrire caiva gāṅgeyasyā mahātmanaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśaṃpāyana dit : Accompagnés de Kṛṣṇa, les femmes de la lignée Bharata et les habitants de la cité s’assemblèrent, et accomplirent selon le rite l’offrande d’eau pour le magnanime fils de la Gaṅgā (Bhīṣma).

Word by Word

• कृष्णेन: by Krishna
• कृष्णेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृष्ण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• भरतस्त्रीभिः: by the Bharata women
• भरतस्त्रीभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरतस्त्री
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Plural

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

• पौराः: the citizens
• पौराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• समागताः: having assembled / gathered
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-गम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• उदकम्: water
• उदकम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: उदक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• चक्रिरे: they performed / they offered
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Plural, Ātmanepada

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

• एव: indeed / just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• गाङ्गेयस्य: of/for the son of Ganga (Bhishma)
• गाङ्गेयस्य: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाङ्गेय
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• महात्मनः: of the great-souled one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Kṛṣṇa
• Bharata women (Kuru women)
• Paurāḥ (citizens)
• Gāṅgeya (Bhīṣma)
• Udaka (water-offering)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dharma expressed as honoring the departed through prescribed rites and communal participation—showing gratitude to elders and upholding social-ritual responsibility even after conflict.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Bhīṣma (Gāṅgeya) has passed, Kṛṣṇa, the Kuru women, and the citizens gather and perform the udaka-offering (water oblations) as part of the funeral/ancestral rites for him.