Shloka 216

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

Devanagari script

परिवेष्टाग्निहोत्रस्य भवेन्नासंस्कृतस्तथा । न कन्या, न युवती, न मन्त्र न जाननेवाला, न मूर्ख और न संस्कारहीन पुरुष ही अग्निमें हवन करनेका अधिकारी है

Transliteration

pariveṣṭāgnihotrasya bhavennāsaṁskṛtastathā |

Translation

Bhīṣma bersabda: Dalam hal melaksanakan Agnihotra dan upacara-upacara yang mengiringinya, orang yang belum diinisiasi atau belum dibentuk oleh saṃskāra yang ditetapkan juga tidak layak. Sesiapa yang tidak memenuhi kelayakan—seperti kanak-kanak perempuan atau gadis muda yang belum berkahwin, orang yang tidak mengetahui mantra, si dungu, atau lelaki yang tidak memiliki saṃskāra—tidak patut melakukan persembahan ke dalam api suci. Ajaran ini menegaskan bahawa ritual Veda ialah disiplin etika yang menuntut latihan, kesucian, dan kecekapan, bukan dorongan sesaat atau pertunjukan sosial.

Word by Word

परिवेष्टof one who is wrapped/covered (i.e., not properly prepared/qualified)

अग्निहोत्रस्यof the Agnihotra (fire-offering rite)

भवेत्would be / should be

नnot

असंस्कृतःunrefined / uninitiated / without proper rites

तथाthus / likewise

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Agnihotra

sacred fire (Agni)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ritual action (like Agnihotra) is governed by dharma: it requires proper preparation—initiation/saṁskāra, knowledge of mantras, and maturity/competence. Without these, performing offerings is considered improper and spiritually/ritually invalid.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira about right conduct. Here he specifies qualifications for Vedic fire-rituals, warning that those lacking training or refinement should not perform havan/Agnihotra.