Shloka 29

Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्

Devanagari script

कुलंभराननडुह: शतं शतान्‌ धुर्यान्‌ श्वेतान्‌ सर्वशो5हं ददामि । प्रष्ाहीनां पीवराणां च ताव- दग्रया गृष्ट्यो धेनव: सुव्रताश्ष

Transliteration

Bhīṣma uvāca: kulaṁbharān anaḍuhaḥ śataṁ śatān dhuryān śvetān sarvaśo ’haṁ dadāmi | praṣṭhāhīnān pīvarāṇāṁ ca tāvad agryā gṛṣṭyo dhenavaḥ suvratāḥ ||

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ—ଏକ କୁଳର ଭାର ବହନ କରିପାରୁଥିବା, ଧୁରାକୁ ଯୋଗ୍ୟ, ଶ୍ୱେତ ଓ ଦୃଢ଼ ଭାରବାହକ ବଳଦମାନଙ୍କୁ ମୁଁ ସେକଡ଼ ସେକଡ଼ କରି ସମସ୍ତ ପ୍ରକାରେ ଦେଉଛି। ଏହା ସହିତ ମୁଁ ଶ୍ରେଷ୍ଠ ଦୁଧାଳୁ ଗାଈମାନେ ମଧ୍ୟ ଦେଉଛି—ଯୁବତୀ, ପୁଷ୍ଟ, ପ୍ରଥମବାର ପ୍ରସୂତା, ସୁଶୀଳ, ସୁବ୍ରତା ଏବଂ ପ୍ରଚୁର ଦୁଧ ଦେଇଥିବା।

Word by Word

• कुलंभरान्: bearing a family’s burden
• कुलंभरान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कुलंभर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अनडुहः: bulls/oxen
• अनडुहः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनडुह्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शतम्: a hundred
• शतम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• शतान्: hundreds (i.e., many hundreds)
• शतान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• धुर्यान्: fit for the yoke / load-bearing
• धुर्यान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धुर्य
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• श्वेतान्: white
• श्वेतान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्वेत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• सर्वशः: in every way / altogether
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वशस्

• अहम्: I
• अहम्: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Nominative, Singular

• ददामि: I give
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: Present, 1, Singular, Parasmaipada

• प्रष्ठहीनानाम्: of those without a hump (i.e., well-formed-backed)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रष्ठहीन
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• पीवराणाम्: of fat/plump (ones)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पीवर
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

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

• तावत्: so many / that much
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तावत्

• अग्र्याः: excellent / best
• अग्र्याः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अग्र्य
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• गृष्ट्यः: first-calved cows / young cows
• गृष्ट्यः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृष्टि
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• धेनवः: milch-cows
• धेनवः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धेनु
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

• सुव्रताः: of good disposition/observance
• सुव्रताः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुव्रत
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• white draught-bulls (anaḍuhaḥ)
• milch-cows (dhenavaḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights dāna as a central dharmic practice: giving valuable, livelihood-sustaining gifts (work-oxen and productive cows) with a generous, comprehensive intent. Such gifts support social welfare and are praised as ethically meritorious.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma, as the instructor on dharma in the Anushasana Parva, describes (or models) the act of lavish gifting—offering large numbers of strong white draught-bulls and excellent first-calved milch-cows—typical of royal or noble donations made in ritual and charitable contexts.