Shloka 5

Adhyāya 166: Kṛtaghna-doṣa (कृतघ्नदोषः) — the fault of ingratitude and the limits of expiation

Devanagari script

यस्य त्रैवार्षिकं भक्त पर्याप्तं भृत्यवृत्तये । अधिकं चापि विद्येत स सोम॑ पातुमहति,जिस ब्राह्मणके पास अपने पालनीय कुट॒म्बी-जनोंके भरण-पोषणके लिये तीन वर्षतक उपभोगमें आने लायक पर्याप्त धन हो अथवा उससे भी अधिक वैभव विद्यमान हो, वही सोमपानका अधिकारी है--उसे ही सोमयागका अनुष्ठान करना चाहिये

Transliteration

yasya traivārṣikaṃ bhaktaṃ paryāptaṃ bhṛtya-vṛttaye | adhikaṃ cāpi vidyeta sa somaṃ pātum arhati ||

Translation

ພີສະມະໄດ້ກ່າວວ່າ: ພຣາຫມັນຜູ້ໃດມີເສບຽງແລະຊັບສິນພໍສໍາລັບສາມປີເພື່ອລ້ຽງດູຜູ້ພຶງພາອາໄສຂອງຕົນ ແລະຍັງມີເຫຼືອເກີນກວ່ານັ້ນ—ຜູ້ນັ້ນເທົ່ານັ້ນຈຶ່ງຄວນດື່ມໂສມະ. ຜູ້ນັ້ນຄວນປະກອບພິທີໂສມະຍາກ ເພາະພິທີນີ້ຄວນເຮັດໂດຍອາໄສຖານະຊີວິດທີ່ໝັ້ນຄົງ ແລະການຮັບຜິດຊອບຕໍ່ເຮືອນຊານ ບໍ່ແມ່ນເຮັດຈາກຄວາມຂັດສົນ.

Word by Word

यस्यof whom/whose

त्रैवार्षिकम्for three years (lasting/covering three years)

भक्तम्food/provisions

पर्याप्तम्sufficient

भृत्यवृत्तयेfor the maintenance of dependents/servants

अधिकम्more/extra

चand

अपिalso/even

विद्येतshould be present/exist

सःhe/that person

सोमम्Soma (sacrificial drink)

पातुम्to drink

अर्हतिis entitled/deserves

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Brahmin (brāhmaṇa)

Soma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ritual privilege (Soma-drinking/Soma-sacrifice) is tied to ethical readiness: a Brahmin should first be able to sustain dependents securely (at least three years’ provisions, preferably surplus). The rite is not to be pursued at the cost of household responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction during the Shanti Parva, he lays down a criterion for who is qualified to perform the Soma-sacrifice: only one with adequate, stable resources for maintaining dependents is considered fit for Soma-drinking and thus for undertaking the Soma-yajña.