Shloka 1

अलोभोपाख्यानम् — शुनःसख-यातुधानी-संवादः

The Allegory of Non-Greed: Śunaḥsakha and the Yātudhānī

Devanagari script

ऑऔपनआक्ाा बछ। अर: द्विनवतितमो< ध्याय: पितर और देवताओंका श्राद्धान्नले अजीर्ण होकर ब्रद्माजीके पास जाना और अग्निके द्वारा अजीर्णका निवारण

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | tathā nimau pravṛtte tu sarva eva maharṣayaḥ | pitṛyajñaṃ tu kurvanti vidhidṛṣṭena karmaṇā ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—ହେ ଯୁଧିଷ୍ଠିର! ଏହିପରି ରାଜା ନିମି ପ୍ରଥମେ ଶ୍ରାଦ୍ଧର ପ୍ରବୃତ୍ତି ଆରମ୍ଭ କରିବା ପରେ, ତାହା ପରେ ସମସ୍ତ ମହର୍ଷି ଶାସ୍ତ୍ରବିଧି ଅନୁସାରେ ପିତୃଯଜ୍ଞ କରିବାକୁ ଲାଗିଲେ।

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• निमौ: in (the case of) Nimi
• निमौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमि
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• प्रवृत्ते: having begun / engaged (in)
• प्रवृत्ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवृत्त
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तु: but, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• महर्षयः: great sages
• महर्षयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पितृयज्ञम्: the ancestral sacrifice (rite for the Pitṛs)
• पितृयज्ञम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृयज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तु: and/but (emphatic)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• कुर्वन्ति: they perform
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• विधिदृष्टेन: as prescribed by rule / seen in the injunctions
• विधिदृष्टेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधिदृष्ट
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• कर्मणा: by (the proper) act/ritual procedure
• कर्मणा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Yudhishthira
• Nimi
• Maharshis (sages)
• Pitṛs (ancestors/manes)
• Pitṛ-yajña (ancestral rite)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That pitṛ-yajña (ancestral offerings) should be performed in accordance with scriptural injunction (vidhi), and that exemplary beginnings by a righteous figure (here, Nimi) can establish a dharmic practice that others follow.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma explains to Yudhishthira that once Nimi initiated the practice of śrāddha/pitṛ-yajña, the great sages subsequently undertook the ancestral rite as well, performing it according to the prescribed ritual rules.