Shloka 5

Phala of Vrata, Niyama, Svādhyāya, Dama, Satya, Brahmacarya, and Service (व्रत-नियम-स्वाध्याय-दम-सत्य-ब्रह्मचर्य-शुश्रूषा-फलप्रश्नः)

Devanagari script

इध्मा दर्भा: सुमनस: कलशश्लातिभोजनम्‌ | विस्मृतं मे तदादाय नदीतीरादिहाव्रज

Transliteration

idhmā darbhāḥ sumanasaḥ kalaśaś cātibhōjanam | vismṛtaṃ me tad ādāya nadītīrād ihā vraja ||

Translation

Bhishma dit : «Du bois pour le rite, de l’herbe darbha, des fleurs, un vase d’eau et des provisions en abondance — j’avais tout rassemblé et laissé sur la berge du fleuve tandis que j’allais me baigner et réciter le Veda. Les ayant oubliés, je suis revenu ici. Va maintenant au bord de l’eau, prends ces objets et apporte-les ici.»

Word by Word

• इध्माः: firewood (fuel-sticks)
• इध्माः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: इध्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• दर्भाः: darbha grass (kuśa-grass)
• दर्भाः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्भ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सुमनसः: flowers
• सुमनसः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुमनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• कलश: water-pot, pitcher
• कलश: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कलश (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• श्लाति: provisions/food-supply (reading uncertain)
• श्लाति: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्लाति (प्रातिपदिक/पाठभेद-रूप)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• भोजनम्: food
• भोजनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• विस्मृतम्: forgotten
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि√स्मृ (धातु) → विस्मृत (कृदन्त)
• Form: Past passive participle (क्त), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• मे: of me, my
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्मद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: 1st, Genitive, Singular

• तत्: that (those things)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आदाय: having taken
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आ√दा (धातु) → आदाय (क्त्वा/ल्यप्-अव्यय)
• Form: Gerund (ल्यप्)

• नदी: of the river
• Type: Noun
• Root: नदी (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• तीरात्: from the bank
• तीरात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• इह: here
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह (अव्यय)
• Form: Adverb

• आव्रज: bring (come back with it)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ√व्रज् (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ (Imperative), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• riverbank (nadītīra)
• firewood (idhmāḥ)
• darbha/kuśa grass (darbhāḥ)
• flowers (sumanasaḥ)
• water-pot (kalaśa)
• food/provisions (atibhojanam)
• an unnamed son (implied addressee)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights disciplined completion of ritual duty: gathering the proper materials, maintaining order and remembrance, and delegating tasks responsibly. It also implies the ethical value of prompt obedience and careful attention in sacred and household obligations.

What is happening in the narrative?

A sage (as reported by Bhishma) had collected sacrificial and hospitality supplies on the riverbank, then went to bathe and recite the Veda. Forgetting the items, he returned and instructs his son to go back to the riverbank, retrieve them, and bring them to the ritual site.