Shloka 39

तीर्थवंशोपदेशः

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

Devanagari script

जातकर्मादिका: सर्वास्त्रिषु वर्णेषु भारत । ब्र्मक्षत्रे हि मन्त्रोक्ता वैश्यस्य च युधिष्ठिर

Transliteration

jātakarmādikāḥ sarvāstrīṣu varṇeṣu bhārata | brahmakṣatre hi mantroktā vaiśyasya ca yudhiṣṭhira ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—ହେ ଭରତବଂଶୀ ଯୁଧିଷ୍ଠିର! ତିନି ଦ୍ୱିଜବର୍ଣ୍ଣରେ ଜାତକର୍ମ ଆଦି ସମସ୍ତ ସଂସ୍କାର ବିଧିବଦ୍ଧ। ବ୍ରାହ୍ମଣ, କ୍ଷତ୍ରିୟ ଓ ବୈଶ୍ୟ—ଏ ତିନିଜଣଙ୍କ ସଂସ୍କାର ବେଦମନ୍ତ୍ର ଉଚ୍ଚାରଣ ସହିତ ହିଁ ବିଧିପୂର୍ବକ କରିବା ଉଚିତ।

Word by Word

• जातकर्मादिकाः: the rites beginning with the birth-rite (jātakarma) etc.
• जातकर्मादिकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जातकर्मादिक
• Form: feminine, nominative, plural

• सर्वाः: all
• सर्वाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: feminine, nominative, plural

• त्रिषु: in three
• त्रिषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: त्रि
• Form: all, locative, plural

• वर्णेषु: in the varṇas (social classes)
• वर्णेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण
• Form: masculine, locative, plural

• भारत: O Bhārata
• Type: Noun
• Root: भारत
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

• ब्राह्मक्षत्रे: in the brāhmaṇa and kṣatriya (classes)
• ब्राह्मक्षत्रे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मक्षत्र
• Form: neuter, locative, dual

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• मन्त्रोक्ताः: accompanied by (Vedic) mantras / prescribed with mantras
• मन्त्रोक्ताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मन्त्रोक्त
• Form: feminine, nominative, plural

• वैश्यस्य: of the vaiśya
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

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

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Yudhishthira
• Bharata (dynastic epithet)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that the classical life-cycle sacraments (saṃskāras), starting with jātakarma, are prescribed for the three twice-born varṇas—Brahmin, Kshatriya, and Vaishya—and that these rites should be performed with Vedic mantra-recitation, emphasizing ritual propriety as part of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma continues advising King Yudhishthira about duties and norms. Here he specifies who is entitled/obligated to perform the saṃskāras and how—namely, with mantras—for the three varṇas he lists.