Shloka 8

Śrāddha-pravṛtti-kathana and Varjya-dravya-nirdeśa

Origin and Prohibitions in Śrāddha

Devanagari script

आजेन वापि लौहेन मघास्वेव यतव्रत: । हस्तिच्छायासु विधिवत्‌ कर्णव्यजनवीजितम्‌

Transliteration

ājena vāpi lauhena maghāsveva yatavrataḥ | hasticchāyāsu vidhivat karṇavyajanavījitam ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—“ନଚେତ୍ ସେ ନିୟମପୂର୍ବକ ବ୍ରତ ପାଳନ କରି, ମଘା ନକ୍ଷତ୍ରରେ ହିଁ, ହାତୀର ଛାୟାରେ ବସି, ହାତୀର କାନକୁ ବ୍ୟଜନ ଭଳି ଧରି ପବନ ନେଇ, ବିଧିମତେ ଆମ ଶ୍ରାଦ୍ଧ କରୁ—ଏବଂ ଚାଉଳର ପାୟସ କିମ୍ବା ଲୌହ-ଶାକର ପକ୍କାନ୍ନ ଅର୍ପଣ କରୁ।”

Word by Word

• आजेन्: with goat-meat / by (means of) goat
• आजेन्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा (अव्यय)

• अपि: also / even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि (अव्यय)

• लौहेन: with iron (food) / with lauha-vegetable
• लौहेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लौह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• मघासु: in (the time of) Maghā (nakṣatra)
• मघासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मघा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• एव: indeed / only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)

• यतव्रतः: one of restrained vows / observing vows
• यतव्रतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यत-व्रत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हस्ति-च्छायासु: in the shade(s) of an elephant
• हस्ति-च्छायासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हस्ति-च्छाया (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• विधिवत्: according to rule / duly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विधिवत् (अव्यय)

• कर्ण-व्यजन-वीजितम्: fanned by an ear-fan (i.e., by the elephant’s ears as fans)
• कर्ण-व्यजन-वीजितम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्ण-व्यजन-वीजित (प्रातिपदिक; कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Maghā nakshatra
• elephant (hasti)
• śrāddha (ancestral rite)
• pāyasa (rice pudding offering)
• lauhā-śāka (named vegetable preparation)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes disciplined observance of prescribed rites: śrāddha should be performed with proper procedure (vidhivat), appropriate offerings, and attention to auspicious timing (Maghā), showing that dharma is upheld through careful, rule-governed ancestral duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is describing a specific, rule-bound mode of performing śrāddha: during the Maghā nakṣatra, the performer—steadfast in vows—sits in an elephant’s shade and is fanned by the elephant’s ears, while offering designated foods such as rice-pāyasa or lauhā-śāka, underscoring the ritual’s exacting conditions.