Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 313

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

Devanagari script

तस्मात्तु कपिला देया कौमुद्रां ज्येष्ठपुष्करे । ब्रह्म हत्याके समान जो कोई पाप होता है

Transliteration

tasmāttu kapilā deyā kaumudrāṁ jyeṣṭha-puṣkare |

Translation

ຍະມະໄດ້ກ່າວວ່າ: ດັ່ງນັ້ນ ໃນວັນເຕັມດວງເດືອນກາຣຕິກາ ຄວນຖວາຍທານງົວສີນ້ຳຕານ (ກະປິລາ) ທີ່ຕີຣຖະ ຊເຢດຖະ–ປຸສກະຣະ. ທານພຽງຄັ້ງດຽວນີ້ ຖືກສອນວ່າສາມາດຊຳລະໄດ້ແມ່ນແຕ່ບາບຫນັກດັ່ງ “ພຣະຫມະຫັດຕະຍາ” (ການຂ້າພຣາຫມັນ) ແລະທານງົວພຽງຕົວດຽວນີ້ ຖືກປະກາດວ່າມີບຸນເທົ່າກັບການໃຫ້ງົວທົ່ວໄປຮ້ອຍຄັ້ງ. ແນວຄິດທາງຈິດທຳຄື: ທານທີ່ເຮັດດ້ວຍສັດທາ ຖືກເວລາ ຖືກສະຖານທີ່ ແລະຖືກທຳນຽມ ມີພະລັງຊຳລະອັນພິເສດ ແລະຄ້ຳຈຸນລະບຽບແຫ່ງທຳມະ.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

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

• कपिला: a tawny (kapilā) cow
• कपिला: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कपिला
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• देया: should be given
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Gerundive (potential passive participle), Feminine, Nominative, Singular, Passive, ought to be given

• कौमुद्राम्: at/for the Kaumudrā (full-moon night/occasion)
• कौमुद्राम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कौमुद्रा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• ज्येष्ठपुष्करे: in Jyeṣṭha-puṣkara (the sacred place)
• ज्येष्ठपुष्करे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ज्येष्ठपुष्कर
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

Speaker

यम उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yama
• Kapilā cow
• Jyeṣṭha-Puṣkara (tīrtha)
• Kārtika Pūrṇimā (full moon of Kārtika)
• Brahmahatyā (sin)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches the exceptional purificatory and merit-giving power of properly performed dāna—specifically, donating a kapilā cow at the sacred place Jyeṣṭha-Puṣkara on Kārtika Pūrṇimā—said to cleanse even extremely grave sins and to equal the merit of many ordinary cow-gifts.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Yama’s discourse on dharma and religious duties, he prescribes a specific act of charity tied to a particular time (Kārtika full moon) and place (Jyeṣṭha-Puṣkara), emphasizing its extraordinary efficacy as expiation and as a source of puṇya.