Mahabharata — Svargarohana Parva, Shloka 6963

Devanagari script

मौसले सार्वगुणिकं गन्धमाल्यानुलेपनम्‌ । आश्रमवासिकपर्वमें ब्राह्मणोंको हविष्प भोजन कराये। मौसलपर्वमें सर्वगुणसम्पन्न अन्न, चन्दन, माला और अनुलेपनका दान करे

Transliteration

mauśale sārvaguṇikaṃ gandhamālyānulepanam | āśramavāsikaparvaṇi brāhmaṇān haviṣpabhojanaṃ kārayet | mauśalaparvaṇi sarvaguṇasampanna-annam candanaṃ mālāṃ ca anulepanaṃ ca dadyāt |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana berkata: Dalam bagian Mausala, hendaknya diberikan dāna yang sempurna dalam segala kebajikan—bahan-bahan harum, rangkaian bunga, dan lulur/olesan wangi. Dalam bagian Āśramavāsika, hendaknya diatur jamuan bagi para brāhmaṇa dengan makanan yang dimasak dari havis (persembahan kurban). Demikianlah, dalam Mausala Parva, menyedekahkan makanan terbaik, cendana, karangan bunga, dan olesan wangi menegakkan dharma melalui hormat, kesucian, dan kemurahan hati.

Word by Word

• मौसले: in the Mausala (Parva)
• मौसले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मौसल
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• सार्वगुणिकम्: endowed with all qualities; excellent
• सार्वगुणिकम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सार्वगुणिक
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• गन्धम्: fragrance; perfume
• गन्धम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गन्ध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• माल्य: garland
• माल्य: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: माल्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अनुलेपनम्: unguents; smearing (of sandal-paste etc.)
• अनुलेपनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनुलेपन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• Mausala Parva
• Āśramavāsika Parva
• Brahmins
• haviṣya (sacrificial food)
• food (anna)
• sandalwood (candana)
• garlands (mālya)
• fragrances (gandha)
• unguents (anulepana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes dharmic giving: offering high-quality, pure, and auspicious items (food, sandalwood, garlands, unguents) and arranging respectful feeding of Brahmins with ritually pure food. Generosity and reverence, expressed through purity and hospitality, are presented as ethically meritorious.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana gives prescriptive guidance connected with specific Parvas: in the Āśramavāsika context, Brahmins are to be fed with haviṣya-type food; in the Mausala context, one should make donations of excellent provisions and auspicious ritual items such as sandalwood, garlands, fragrances, and unguents.