Shloka 1

Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्

Devanagari script

०४८ श्यु 8 त्रिनववतितमो<्थ्याय: गृहस्थके धर्मोका रहस्य

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | dvijātayo vratopetā havis te yadi bhuñjate | annaṃ brāhma-kāmāya katham etat pitāmaha ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira dit : «Grand-père, si des hommes “nés deux fois”, observant un vœu, prennent de la nourriture sacrificielle (havis) afin de satisfaire la demande d’un brahmane, comment faut-il en juger ? En un tel cas, quelle est la conduite juste : préserver le vœu sans l’altérer, ou céder au désir du brahmane par respect et par devoir ?»

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• द्विजातयः: twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• द्विजातयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजाति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• व्रत-उपेताः: endowed with/observing a vow
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्रतोपेत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हविः: oblation; sacrificial food
• हविः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• भुञ्जते: eat; partake
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Plural, Atmanepada

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ब्राह्मण-कामाय: for the sake of a Brahmin's desire (to please a Brahmin)
• ब्राह्मण-कामाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मणकाम
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पितामह: O grandsire
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Pitāmaha (Bhīṣma)
• Dvijāti (twice-born)
• Brāhmaṇa
• Havis (sacrificial oblation/food)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a classic dharma-dilemma: when two duties appear to conflict—fidelity to one’s vow (vrata) versus honoring a Brahmin’s request and the social-ritual obligations tied to it—one must discern which action best upholds dharma in context, intention, and consequence.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Yudhiṣṭhira asks Bhīṣma to clarify whether vow-observing twice-born men may eat sacrificial/ritual food to satisfy a Brahmin’s wish, and how such an act should be evaluated ethically.