Shloka 33

अन्नदान-प्रशंसा (Praise of the Gift of Food) | Annadāna-Praśaṃsā

Devanagari script

दूराच्छूद्रेणोपचर्यो ब्राह्मणो5ग्निरिव ज्वलन्‌

Transliteration

dūrāc chūdreṇopacaryo brāhmaṇo 'gnir iva jvalan

Translation

ભીષ્મે કહ્યું—અગ્નિ સમાન પ્રજ્વલિત બ્રાહ્મણની સેવા શૂદ્રે દૂરથી જ કરવી જોઈએ.

Word by Word

• दूरात्: from afar
• दूरात्: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर
• Form: Ablatival adverb (from 'दूर' with -त्)

• शूद्रेण: by a Śūdra
• शूद्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शूद्र
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• उपचर्यः: to be attended/served
• उपचर्यः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उपचर्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; Gerundive (तव्य/य) sense: 'to be attended/served'

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अग्निः: fire
• अग्निः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्नि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like/as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव
• Form: Particle of comparison

• ज्वलन्: blazing, shining
• ज्वलन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्वल्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular; Present active participle (शतृ)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• brāhmaṇa
• śūdra
• agni (fire)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that service and approach should follow prescribed boundaries: a brāhmaṇa, compared to blazing fire, is to be honored with caution and proper distance by a śūdra, emphasizing regulated conduct and reverence toward perceived spiritual potency.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s dharma-instruction discourse (Anuśāsana Parva), he lays down norms of conduct among varṇas; here he uses the metaphor of fire to prescribe how a śūdra should attend upon a brāhmaṇa—by serving respectfully while maintaining distance.