Shloka 20

तीर्थवंशोपदेशः

Tīrtha-vaṃśa Upadeśa: Instruction on the Fruits of Sacred Waters

Devanagari script

अपरिज्ञातपूर्वाश्च गणपूर्वाश्न भारत । पत्रिकापूर्वपुत्राश्न श्राद्धे नाहन्ति केतनम्‌

Transliteration

aparijñātapūrvāś ca gaṇapūrvāś ca bhārata | putrikāpūrvaputrāś ca śrāddhe nārhanti ketanam ||

Translation

ഭീഷ്മൻ പറഞ്ഞു—ഹേ ഭാരതാ! മുൻപരിചയം ഇല്ലാത്ത ബ്രാഹ്മണർ, കൂട്ടത്തിന്റെ നേതാക്കളെന്നു നടിക്കുന്നവർ, കൂടാതെ പുത്രികാ-ധർമ്മപ്രകാരം വിവാഹിതയായ മകളിൽ ജനിച്ച് മാതാമഹന്റെ വീട്ടിൽ താമസിക്കുന്ന ‘പുത്രികാ-പുത്രർ’—ഇവർ ശ്രാദ്ധത്തിൽ ക്ഷണിക്കപ്പെടാൻ യോഗ്യരല്ല।

Word by Word

• अपरिज्ञातपूर्वाः: those whose antecedents are unknown
• अपरिज्ञातपूर्वाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अपरिज्ञातपूर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• गणपूर्वाः: those who are at the head of a group/assembly
• गणपूर्वाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गणपूर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• पत्रिकापूर्वपुत्राः: those who are 'putrikā-pūrva-putras' (sons born through a putrikā-arrangement, i.e., residing in the maternal grandfather’s line)
• पत्रिकापूर्वपुत्राः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पत्रिकापूर्वपुत्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• श्राद्धे: in the śrāddha rite
• श्राद्धे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्राद्ध
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

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

• आह्वयन्ति: they invite/call
• Type: Verb
• Root: आह्वा
• Form: Present, Indicative, Parasmaipada, Third, Plural

• केचन: some (persons)
• केचन: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: केचन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भारत: O Bharata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Bharata (Yudhiṣṭhira as addressee)
• Brāhmaṇas
• Śrāddha

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Śrāddha requires careful selection of invitees: one should invite verified, trustworthy Brahmins of known conduct, not unknown persons, self-styled group-leaders, or those whose social/lineage position is treated here as ritually unsuitable for invitation.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma advises Yudhiṣṭhira about proper śrāddha procedure, specifying categories of Brahmins who should not be invited, emphasizing discernment and ritual propriety.