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Shloka 13

Abhimanyu’s Assault on Bhīṣma’s Screen; Banner-Felling and Reinforcements (सौभद्र-भीष्म-समरः)

विधिहीनमसृष्टान्नं5 मन्त्रहीनमदक्षिणम्‌ः | श्रद्धाविरहितं यज्ञ तामसं परिचक्षते,शास्त्रविधिसे हीन, अन्नदानसे रहित, बिना मन्त्रोंके, बिना दक्षिणाके और बिना श्रद्धाके किये जानेवाले यज्ञको तामस यज्ञ कहते हैं

vidhihīnam asṛṣṭānnaṃ mantrahīnam adakṣiṇam | śraddhāvirahitaṃ yajñaṃ tāmasaṃ paricakṣate ||

定められた作法に従わず、食の施与もなく、必要な真言もなく、ダクシナー(祭司への謝礼)もなく、信(シュラッダー)も欠いて行われる供犠は、ターマサ(闇と迷妄)の供犠と宣せられる。倫理的には、敬虔さと責任、そしてダルマを支えようとする意志を欠いた、外形だけの儀礼にすぎない。

विधिहीनम्devoid of prescribed rules
विधिहीनम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootविधि-हीन
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
असृष्टान्नम्with food not duly offered/distributed
असृष्टान्नम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootअ-सृष्ट-अन्न
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
मन्त्रहीनम्without mantras
मन्त्रहीनम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootमन्त्र-हीन
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
अदक्षिणम्without priestly fee (dakṣiṇā)
अदक्षिणम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootअ-दक्षिण
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
श्रद्धाविरहितम्lacking faith
श्रद्धाविरहितम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootश्रद्धा-विरहित
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
यज्ञम्sacrifice; ritual offering
यज्ञम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootयज्ञ
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
तामसम्tamasic (of darkness/ignorance)
तामसम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootतामस
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
परिचक्षतेthey call; they describe
परिचक्षते:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootपरि-चक्ष्
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Atmanepada

अजुन उवाच

A
Arjuna
Y
yajña (sacrifice)
M
mantra
D
dakṣiṇā

Educational Q&A

Ritual action is ethically meaningful only when grounded in śāstric procedure, proper offering and sharing, mantric sanctification, fair recompense (dakṣiṇā), and sincere faith. When these are absent, the act becomes tāmasika—an empty or deluded performance rather than dharmic worship.

In the Bhīṣma Parva’s teaching context, Arjuna is being instructed about right conduct and the qualities (guṇas) that color human actions. This verse classifies a certain kind of sacrifice as tāmasika by listing the concrete deficiencies that make it spiritually and ethically flawed.