Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 196

Viṣṇu-sahasranāma—Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Recitation (विष्णोर्नामसहस्रम्)

Devanagari script

अन्निहोत्रं च यत्नेन सर्वश: प्रतिपालयेत । उपानह (जूता)

Transliteration

agnihotraṃ ca yatnena sarvaśaḥ pratipālayet | upānahau chatraṃ tathā kapilāṃ gāṃ ca yathocita-rītyā dānaṃ kuryāt | puṣkare tīrthe vedapāragaṃ vidvān brāhmaṇaṃ kapilā-godānena pūjayet, agnihotra-vidhiṃ ca sarvathā yatnapūrvakaṃ pālayet |

Translation

ພະຍະມະສອນວ່າ: «ຄວນຮັກສາພິທີອັກນິໂຫຕຣະ (Agnihotra) ດ້ວຍຄວາມພາກພຽນ ໃນທຸກປະການ. ພ້ອມກັບວິໄນນີ້ ຄວນໃຫ້ທານຢ່າງເໝາະສົມ—ເຊັ່ນ ເກີບ ແລະ ຮົ່ມ—ແລະໂດຍພິເສດ ງົວສີກະປິລາ (kapilā). ທີ່ປຸສະກະຣະຕີຣະ (Puṣkara tīrtha) ຄວນຖວາຍງົວກະປິລາແກ່ພຣາຫມັນຜູ້ຊຳນານໃນເວດ ເພື່ອເປັນການຖວາຍກຽດ; ແລະຄວນຮັກສາກົດຂອງອັກນິໂຫຕຣະດ້ວຍຄວາມພາກພຽນຢ່າງລະມັດລະວັງໃນທຸກດ້ານ».

Word by Word

• अग्निहोत्रम्: Agnihotra rite
• अग्निहोत्रम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्निहोत्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• यत्नेन: with effort
• यत्नेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यत्न
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• सर्वशः: in every way; entirely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वशः

• प्रतिपालयेत: should observe/maintain
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रति-पाल्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

यम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Agnihotra
• Upānah (footwear)
• Chatra (umbrella)
• Kapilā cow
• Puṣkara tīrtha
• Veda
• Brāhmaṇa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is upheld through disciplined ritual observance (especially Agnihotra) and through appropriate charitable giving; honoring Veda-learned Brahmins at sacred places like Puṣkara is presented as a meritorious form of dāna.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yama is instructing the listener on proper conduct: maintain the Agnihotra carefully and perform prescribed gifts—footwear, umbrella, and notably a kapilā cow—especially as an offering of honor to a Veda-versed Brahmin at Puṣkara tīrtha.