Shloka 40

Devanagari script

शुक्ले देवान्‌ पितृन्‌ कृष्णे तर्पयत्यमृतेन यः । यश्न राजा द्विजातीनां तस्मै सोमात्मने नम:,जो अपनी अमृतमयी कलाओंसे शुक्लपक्षमें देवताओंको और कृष्णपक्षमें पितरोंको तृप्त करते हैं तथा जो सम्पूर्ण द्विजोंके राजा हैं, उन सोमस्वरूप परमात्माको नमस्कार है

Transliteration

śukle devān pitṝn kṛṣṇe tarpayaty amṛtena yaḥ | yasn rājā dvijātīnāṁ tasmai somātmane namaḥ ||

Translation

ଯିଏ ଅମୃତମୟ କଳାଦ୍ୱାରା ଶୁକ୍ଳପକ୍ଷରେ ଦେବତାମାନଙ୍କୁ ଓ କୃଷ୍ଣପକ୍ଷରେ ପିତୃମାନଙ୍କୁ ତୃପ୍ତ କରନ୍ତି, ଏବଂ ଯିଏ ସମସ୍ତ ଦ୍ୱିଜଙ୍କ ରାଜା—ସେଇ ସୋମସ୍ୱରୂପ ପରମାତ୍ମାଙ୍କୁ ନମସ୍କାର।

Word by Word

शुक्लेin the bright (fortnight)

देवान्the gods

पितॄन्the ancestors (manes)

कृष्णेin the dark (fortnight)

तर्पयतिsatisfies, gratifies

अमृतेनwith nectar; with ambrosia

यःwho

यश्नःthe worshipful one / the sacrificer (as read)

राजाking

द्विजातीनाम्of the twice-born (Brahmins etc.)

तस्मैto him

सोमात्मनेto the one whose essence is Soma / to the Soma-natured one

नमःsalutation

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Devas (gods)

Pitṛs (ancestors)

Soma (Moon/nectar principle; Soma-ātman, Supreme Lord as Soma)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is sustained by honoring both divine forces and ancestral lineages in their proper time; the waxing and waning moon symbolizes a disciplined rhythm of gratitude and obligation, culminating in reverence to the Supreme as Soma—the nourishing, life-sustaining principle.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s instruction in Śānti Parva, he offers a reverential verse praising the Soma-natured Supreme who, through the lunar cycle, is said to gratify gods in the bright fortnight and ancestors in the dark fortnight—linking ritual practice (tarpana) with cosmic governance.