Shloka 74

समन्तपञ्चक-आख्यानम् तथा अक्षौहिणी-प्रमाणनिर्णयः

Samantapañcaka Narrative and the Measure of an Akṣauhiṇī

Devanagari script

भ्राद्धपर्व ततो ज्ञेयं कुरूणामौर्ध्वदेहिकम्‌ । चार्वाकनिग्रह: पर्व रक्षसो ब्रह्म॒रूपिण:,तत्पश्चात्‌ श्राद्धपर्व है, जिसमें मृत कौरवोंकी अन्त्येष्टिक्रियाका वर्णन है। उसके बाद ब्राह्मण-वेषधारी राक्षस चार्वाकके निग्रहका पर्व है

Transliteration

śrāddha-parva tato jñeyaṁ kurūṇām aurdhva-dehikam | cārvāka-nigrahaḥ parva rakṣaso brahma-rūpiṇaḥ |

Translation

ତା’ପରେ ଶ୍ରାଦ୍ଧପର୍ବ ଜାଣିବା ଉଚିତ; ସେଠାରେ ମୃତ କୌରବମାନଙ୍କ ଔର୍ଧ୍ୱଦେହିକ କର୍ମର ବର୍ଣ୍ଣନା ଅଛି। ତା’ପରେ ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ-ବେଶଧାରୀ ରାକ୍ଷସ ଚାର୍ବାକଙ୍କ ନିଗ୍ରହପର୍ବ ଆସେ।

Word by Word

श्राद्धपर्वthe Śrāddha section/episode

ततःthen/thereafter

ज्ञेयम्to be known (as)

कुरूणाम्of the Kurus

और्ध्वदेहिकम्funerary/pertaining to post-death rites

चार्वाकनिग्रहःthe suppression/punishment of Cārvāka

पर्वa section/episode

रक्षसःof the demon

ब्रह्मरूपिणःof (him) having the form/guise of a brāhmaṇa

Speaker

राम उवाच

Characters & Entities

Kuru(s)

Cārvāka

rākṣasa

brāhmaṇa (guise/form)

Śrāddha (rites)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores two ethical points: (1) honoring the dead through prescribed rites is a dharmic obligation that sustains social and spiritual continuity; (2) society must remain vigilant against adharma that hides behind the appearance of sanctity, and must restrain harmful deception to protect the integrity of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

The text is outlining upcoming sections: first, a Śrāddha Parva describing the aurdhva-dehika rites for deceased Kurus; next, a parva narrating the subduing of Cārvāka, a rākṣasa who appears in the guise of a brāhmaṇa.