Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 46

Chatra–Upānah Dāna: Origin Narrative

Jamadagni–Reṇukā–Sūrya Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

जिसने आपके कमलोंका अपहरण किया हो, वह सम्पूर्ण वेदोंका अध्ययन करे। पुण्यात्मा और धार्मिक हो, तथा मृत्युके पश्चात्‌ वह ब्रह्माजीके लोकमें जाय ।।

Transliteration

agastya uvāca | āśīrvādād astvayā proktaḥ śapatho balasūdana | dīyatāṃ puṣkaraṃ mahāmeṣa dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ ||

Translation

ਅਗਸਤ੍ਯ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ— ਹੇ ਬਲਸੂਦਨ! ਤੂੰ ਜੋ ਸਹੁੰ ਉਚਾਰੀ ਹੈ, ਉਹ ਅਸਲ ਵਿੱਚ ਆਸ਼ੀਰਵਾਦ ਹੀ ਹੈ। ਇਸ ਲਈ ਮੇਰੇ ਪੁਸ਼ਕਰ (ਕਮਲ) ਤੂੰ ਹੀ ਲਏ ਹਨ; ਕਿਰਪਾ ਕਰਕੇ ਮੈਨੂੰ ਵਾਪਸ ਦੇ। ਇਹੀ ਸਨਾਤਨ ਧਰਮ ਹੈ—ਸੱਚ ਬੋਲਣਾ ਅਤੇ ਦੂਜੇ ਦੀ ਵਸਤੂ ਉਸਨੂੰ ਯਥਾਵਤ ਪਰਤਾਉਣਾ।

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'agastya uvāca', 'definition': 'Agastya said'}, {'term': 'āśīrvāda', 'definition': 'blessing, benediction'}, {'term': 'proktaḥ', 'definition': 'spoken, declared'}, {'term': 'śapathaḥ', 'definition': 'oath, solemn vow'}, {'term': 'balasūdana', 'definition': '‘slayer of Bala’

• epithet of Kṛṣṇa'}, {'term': 'dīyatām', 'definition': 'let it be given

• please give'}, {'term': 'puṣkaram', 'definition': 'lotus

• lotus(-flowers)'}, {'term': 'dharmaḥ sanātanaḥ', 'definition': 'eternal dharma

Speaker

अगस्त्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Agastya
• Balasūdana (Kṛṣṇa)
• puṣkara (lotus/lotus-flowers)
• Brahmā-loka (implied in the surrounding sense of reward after death)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A vow or oath should uphold dharma: truthfulness, accountability, and the rightful return of what is taken. Agastya reframes the spoken ‘oath’ as a blessing that compels ethical restitution.

What is happening in the narrative?

Agastya addresses Balasūdana (Kṛṣṇa), stating that the vow just spoken functions like a benediction; on that basis he concludes Kṛṣṇa has taken his lotus(-flowers) and asks him to return them, calling this conduct ‘sanātana dharma’.