Shloka 24

Adhyāya 166: Kṛtaghna-doṣa (कृतघ्नदोषः) — the fault of ingratitude and the limits of expiation

Devanagari script

पुण्यानि यानि कुर्वीत श्रद्दधधानो जितेन्द्रिय: । अनाप्तदक्षिणैर्यज्जैन यजेत कथठ्चन,मनुष्य जो भी पुण्यकर्म करे उसे श्रद्धापूर्वक और जितेन्द्रिय भावसे करे। पर्याप्त दक्षिणा दिये बिना किसी तरह यज्ञ न करे

Transliteration

puṇyāni yāni kurvīta śraddadhāno jitendriyaḥ | anāptadakṣiṇair yajñair na yajeta kathaṃcana ||

Translation

Bhīṣma berkata: “Apa pun perbuatan bajik yang dilakukan seseorang hendaknya dikerjakan dengan keyakinan dan dengan pengendalian indra. Dan jangan sekali-kali melaksanakan yajña dengan cara apa pun bila dakṣiṇā belum dipenuhi sebagaimana mestinya.”

Word by Word

पुण्यानिmeritorious (deeds)

यानिwhich

कुर्वीतshould do

श्रद्दधधानःhaving faith, believing

जितेन्द्रियःself-controlled (one whose senses are conquered)

अनाप्तदक्षिणैःwith (sacrifices) lacking proper fees (dakṣiṇā)

यज्ञैःby/with sacrifices

नnot

यजेतshould sacrifice/worship

कथंचनin any way; at all

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Merit arises when actions are performed with faith and self-mastery, and ritual must be ethically complete: a yajña without proper dakṣiṇā is not to be undertaken.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma continues advising on right conduct, emphasizing inner discipline (control of senses) and the moral obligation of giving (dakṣiṇā) as integral to sacrificial practice.