Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिरश्न गाड़ेयं विदुरश्च महामतिः । छादयामासतुरु भी क्षौमैर्माल्यैश्व कौरवम्‌

Transliteration

Vaiśampāyana uvāca | Yudhiṣṭhiraś ca Gāṅgeyaṃ Viduraś ca mahāmatiḥ | Chādayām āsatur ubhau kṣaumair mālyaiś ca Kauravam |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: Raja Yudhiṣṭhira dan Vidura yang amat bijaksana bersama-sama menyelimuti Bhīṣma putra Gaṅgā, pahlawan Kuru, dengan kain halus dan untaian bunga, lalu membaringkannya di atas tumpukan pembakaran jenazah.

Word by Word

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

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

• गाङ्गेयम्: Ganga's son (Bhishma)
• गाङ्गेयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गाङ्गेय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• विदुरः: Vidura
• विदुरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विदुर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• महामतिः: great-minded, very wise
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महामति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• छादयामासतुः: they two covered
• Type: Verb
• Root: छाद्
• Form: Periphrastic Perfect (Liṭ), Third, Dual

• भीष्मम्: Bhishma
• भीष्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• क्षौमैः: with linen/silken cloths
• क्षौमैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षौम
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• माल्यैः: with garlands
• माल्यैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: माल्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

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

• कौरवम्: the Kuru prince (Bhishma)
• कौरवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौरव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Vidura
• Gāṅgeya (Bhīṣma)
• Kaurava (Kuru lineage)
• kṣauma (linen cloth)
• mālya (garlands)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is shown through honoring and serving elders and the worthy, especially at life’s end. Even after a devastating war, Yudhiṣṭhira and Vidura uphold ethical duty by performing respectful rites for Bhīṣma, expressing gratitude and reverence rather than resentment.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana narrates that Yudhiṣṭhira and Vidura together drape Bhīṣma (Gāṅgeya), the Kuru hero, with fine linen cloth and garlands—preparing and honoring him in the context of his final rites on the funeral pyre.