Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 23

प्रतिग्रहभेदः — The Distinction between Giving and Accepting

Vṛṣādarbhī–Saptarṣi Dialogue

Devanagari script

कृत्वाग्नौकरणं पूर्व मन्त्रपूर्व तपोधन । ततो5ग्नये5थ सोमाय वरुणाय च नित्यश:

Transliteration

kṛtvāgnaukaraṇaṃ pūrvaṃ mantrapūrva tapodhana | tato 'gnaye 'tha somāya varuṇāya ca nityaśaḥ ||

Translation

भीष्म बोले—हे तपोधन! पहले वेदमंत्रों के उच्चारणपूर्वक अग्नौकरण की विधि पूर्ण करके, फिर नित्य-नित्य अग्नि, सोम और वरुण को उनके नियत भाग अर्पित करे; इसी क्रम से पूजन कर धर्म के आधारभूत देवताओं का पालन-पोषण करे।

Word by Word

• {'kṛtvā': 'having done

• having completed', 'agnaukaraṇam': 'the rite of establishing/kindling the sacred fire (agni-kārya)', 'pūrvam': 'first

• beforehand', 'mantrapūrva': 'preceded by mantra-recitation

• with Vedic formulas', 'tapodhana': '‘treasure of austerity’

• an honorific for an ascetic', 'tataḥ': 'then

• thereafter', 'agnaye': 'to Agni (dative)', 'atha': 'then

• next', 'somāya': 'to Soma (dative)', 'varuṇāya': 'to Varuṇa (dative)', 'ca': 'and', 'nityaśaḥ': 'always

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Agni
• Soma
• Varuna

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is upheld through disciplined, mantra-guided daily ritual: first properly establish the sacred fire, then regularly offer the prescribed shares to key deities in an ordered way.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is instructing a revered ascetic on correct ritual procedure—completing the fire-rite with Vedic mantras and then making regular offerings to Agni, Soma, and Varuṇa.