Shloka 3

Devanagari script

पार्थिवै राजपुत्रैर्वा शक्‍्या: प्राप्तुं पितामह । नार्थन्यूनैरवगुणैरेकात्मभिरसंहतै:,दादाजी! राजा अथवा राजपुत्र ही उन यज्ञोंका लाभ ले सकते हैं। जिनके पास धनकी कमी है, जो गुणहीन, एकाकी और असहाय हैं, वे उस प्रकारके यज्ञ नहीं कर सकते

Transliteration

pārthivair rājaputrair vā śakyāḥ prāptuṃ pitāmaha | nārthanyūnair avaguṇair ekātmabhir asaṃhataiḥ ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira disse: “Ó Avô, apenas reis ou príncipes conseguem obter os frutos desses sacrifícios. Aqueles que são deficientes em riqueza, carentes de virtudes, solitários e sem amparo não podem realizar sacrifícios desse tipo.”

Word by Word

पार्थिवैःby kings

राजपुत्रैःby princes (sons of kings)

वाor

शक्याःpossible/able (to be done/obtained)

प्राप्तुम्to obtain

पितामहO grandsire

नnot

अर्थन्यूनैःby those deficient in wealth

अवगुणैःby those with faults / by the faulty

एकात्मभिःby solitary persons (alone by oneself)

असंहतैःby the ununited / unsupported / not banded together

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha)

kings

princes

yajña (sacrifice)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights adhikāra (practical eligibility) for large-scale sacrifices: such rites typically require royal resources, personal virtue, and social support; those lacking wealth, qualities, and backing cannot realistically undertake them.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Bhīṣma as ‘Grandfather’ and reflects on who can actually gain the fruits of certain yajñas, noting that only kings/princes can manage them, while the poor and unsupported cannot.