Shloka 39

Gārhasthya-Śreṣṭhatā and Kṣatriya-Daṇḍadhāraṇa

Householder Primacy and the Royal Duty of Punishment

Devanagari script

त्वं गत्वा बाहुदां शीघ्र तर्पयस्व यथाविधि । देवानृषीन्‌ पितृश्चैवं मा चाधर्मे मनः कृथा:

Transliteration

tvaṃ gatvā bāhudāṃ śīghra tarpayasva yathāvidhi | devān ṛṣīn pitṝṃś caivaṃ mā cādharme manaḥ kṛthāḥ ||

Translation

നീ ഉടൻ ബാഹുദാ നദിയിലേക്കു പോയി വിധിപൂർവ്വം തർപ്പണം നടത്തുക— ദേവന്മാർക്കും ഋഷിമാർക്കും പിതൃക്കൾക്കും. അധർമ്മത്തിലേക്ക് മനസ്സിനെ തിരിക്കരുത്.

Word by Word

• त्वम्: you
• त्वम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Nominative, Singular

• गत्वा: having gone
• गत्वा: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Absolutive (क्त्वा), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral), —, —, —

• बाहुदाम्: to Bāhudā (a place/river)
• बाहुदाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun (proper/place-name)
• Root: बाहुदा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• शीघ्रम्: quickly
• शीघ्रम्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: शीघ्र
• Form: true

• तर्पयस्व: satisfy/offer libations (to)
• तर्पयस्व: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: तृप्
• Form: Loṭ (imperative), Ātmanepada, Second, Singular, Causative (णिच्)

• यथा: as, according to
• यथा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा
• Form: true

• विधि: rule/ritual procedure
• विधि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विधि
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• ऋषीन्: the sages
• ऋषीन्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पितॄन्: the ancestors (pitṛs)
• पितॄन्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: true

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• एवम्: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्
• Form: true

• मा: do not
• मा: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा
• Form: true, prohibitive particle

• च: and
• च: —
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च
• Form: true

• अधर्मे: in unrighteousness
• अधर्मे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर्म
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कृथाः: make, set (your mind)
• कृथाः: —
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Loṭ (imperative), Parasmaipada, Second, Singular

Speaker

शंख उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śaṅkha
• Bāhudā
• Devas
• Ṛṣis
• Pitṛs

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

One should promptly perform prescribed duties—especially offerings that honor gods, sages, and ancestors—and guard the mind from drifting into adharma; ethical steadiness is reinforced through disciplined, rule-based action.

What is happening in the narrative?

Śaṅkha instructs the listener to go quickly to Bāhudā and carry out ritual satisfactions (tarpaṇa) in the proper manner, explicitly naming the recipients—devas, ṛṣis, and pitṛs—while warning against any inward turn toward unrighteous intent.