Shloka 28

Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa

Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results

Devanagari script

हुताशनस्तु बुबुधे मण्डूकस्य च पैशुनम्‌ शशाप स तमासाद्य न रसान्‌ वेत्स्यसीति वै

Transliteration

hutāśanas tu bubudhe maṇḍūkasya ca paiśunam | śaśāpa sa tam āsādya na rasān vetsyasīti vai ||

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。火神アグニ（フターシャナ）は、蛙の悪意ある告げ口を悟った。彼はそのもとへ近づき、呪いを宣した——「まことに汝は、もはや諸々の味を知ることはない。」

Word by Word

• हुताशनः: Agni (the fire-god)
• हुताशनः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: हुताशन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• बुबुधे: came to know/understood
• Type: Verb
• Root: बुध्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• मण्डूकस्य: of the frog
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डूक
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

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

• पैशुनम्: slander/backbiting (tale-bearing)
• पैशुनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पैशुन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शशाप: cursed
• Type: Verb
• Root: शप्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तम्: him
• तम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आसाद्य: having approached/reached
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-√सद्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Parasmaipada-derived

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• रसान्: tastes/flavors
• रसान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रस
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• वेत्स्यसि: you will know/experience
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद्
• Form: Future (Simple), Second, Singular, Parasmaipada

• इति: thus (quotative)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• वै: indeed/verily
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Hutāśana (Agni, Fire-god)
• Maṇḍūka (frog)
• Rasa (taste/flavor)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Malicious speech—especially tale-bearing meant to harm—violates dharma and brings consequences. The verse frames paiśunya (spiteful informing) as ethically blameworthy, leading to loss of enjoyment (symbolized by the inability to taste).

What is happening in the narrative?

Agni realizes that the frog has acted as a malicious informer. He goes to the frog and curses him, declaring that the frog will not experience tastes (rasas).