Shloka 2

अलोभोपाख्यानम् — शुनःसख-यातुधानी-संवादः

The Allegory of Non-Greed: Śunaḥsakha and the Yātudhānī

Devanagari script

ऋषयो धर्मनित्यास्तु कृत्वा निवपनान्युत । तर्पणं चाप्यकुर्वन्त तीर्थाम्भोभिययतव्रता:

Transliteration

ṛṣayo dharmanityāstu kṛtvā nivapanāny uta | tarpaṇaṃ cāpy akurvanta tīrthāmbhobhir yayatavratāḥ ||

Translation

ଧର୍ମନିଷ୍ଠ ଏବଂ ନିୟମବଦ୍ଧ ବ୍ରତଧାରୀ ଋଷିମାନେ ପ୍ରଥମେ ନିବପାନ (ପିଣ୍ଡଦାନ) କରି, ପରେ ତୀର୍ଥଜଳରେ ପିତୃମାନଙ୍କୁ ତର୍ପଣ ମଧ୍ୟ କରୁଥିଲେ।

Word by Word

• ऋषयः: sages
• ऋषयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ऋषि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• धर्मनित्याः: ever devoted to dharma
• धर्मनित्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मनित्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• कृत्वा: having done
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund)

• निवपनानि: offerings/oblations (piṇḍa-offerings)
• निवपनानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निवपन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• उत: and also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: उत

• तर्पणम्: libation/ritual satisfaction (tarpana)
• तर्पणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तर्पण
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• अकुर्वन्त: they did/used to do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• तीर्थाम्भोभिः: with the water of sacred fords (tīrtha-water)
• तीर्थाम्भोभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: तीर्थाम्भस्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• यतव्रताः: of restrained vows / observing vows
• यतव्रताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: यतव्रत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• ṛṣayaḥ (sages)
• pitaraḥ (ancestors)
• tīrtha (sacred ford/pilgrimage place)
• tīrthāmbhas (sacred water)
• nivapana (ritual offering)
• tarpaṇa (libation rite)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Steadfast dharma includes completing one’s obligations to the departed: after making the prescribed offerings (nivapana), one should also perform tarpaṇa with sacred water, showing disciplined, vow-governed continuity in ritual and ethical duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma describes the customary practice of ancient sages: they performed post-offering rites and then used tīrtha-water to offer tarpaṇa to the ancestors, presenting an exemplary model of dharma-centered conduct.