Shloka 6

Go-dāna-phala-nirdeśa

Merit and Destinations from the Gift of Cows

Devanagari script

पितृशुश्रूषणे कि च मातृशुश्रूषणे तथा । आचार्यगुरुशुश्रूषास्वनुक्रोशानुकम्पने

Transliteration

pitṛśuśrūṣaṇe kiṁ ca mātṛśuśrūṣaṇe tathā | ācārya-guruśuśrūṣāsv anukrośānukampane ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira dit : «Quelle récompense obtient-on par le service dévoué rendu au père, et de même à la mère ? Quel fruit vient du service envers le maître (ācārya) et le précepteur spirituel (guru), et quel fruit de la bonté et de la compassion maintenues envers les êtres vivants ?»

Word by Word

• पितृ-शुश्रूषणे: in service to the father
• पितृ-शुश्रूषणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ + शुश्रूषण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

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

• मातृ-शुश्रूषणे: in service to the mother
• मातृ-शुश्रूषणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ + शुश्रूषण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• तथा: likewise/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• आचार्य-गुरु-शुश्रूषासु: in services to teacher and guru
• आचार्य-गुरु-शुश्रूषासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार्य + गुरु + शुश्रूषा
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• अनुक्रोश-अनुकम्पने: in compassion and pity (towards beings)
• अनुक्रोश-अनुकम्पने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुक्रोश + अनुकम्पन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• father
• mother
• ācārya (teacher)
• guru (spiritual preceptor)
• living beings (prāṇin)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames dharma as practical reverence and care: serving parents and teachers, and sustaining compassion toward all beings, are presented as key sources of spiritual and ethical ‘fruit’ (merit and uplift).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Yudhiṣṭhira asks an elder authority to specify the rewards obtained from serving father, mother, ācārya and guru, and from cultivating kindness and compassion.