Shloka 51

Adhyāya 166: Kṛtaghna-doṣa (कृतघ्नदोषः) — the fault of ingratitude and the limits of expiation

Devanagari script

नैर्कतीं दिशमास्थाय निपतेत्‌ स त्वजिह्मृग: । ब्राह्मणार्थेडपि वा प्राणान्‌ संत्यजेत्‌ तेन शुद्धयति,अथवा अपने शिश्न और अण्डकोषको स्वयं ही काटकर अगज्जलिमें लेकर सीधे नैरऋत्य-दिशाकी ओर जाता हुआ गिर पड़े या ब्राह्मणके लिये प्राणोंका परित्याग कर दे तो शुद्ध हो जाता है

Transliteration

nairṛtīṁ diśam āsthāya nipatet sa tv ajihmṛgaḥ | brāhmaṇārthe ’pi vā prāṇān saṁtyajet tena śuddhyati |

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “If a man, becoming straightforward (without deceit), goes toward the south‑western quarter and falls down there, or even gives up his life for the sake of a brāhmaṇa, he becomes purified.”

Word by Word

नैर्ऋतीम्the Nairṛti (south-western) direction

दिशम्direction

आस्थायhaving resorted to / having taken (as one’s course)

निपतेत्should fall down

सःhe

त्वजिह्मृगःone who is (so described as) 'tvajihmṛga' (textually uncertain epithet)

ब्राह्मणार्थेfor the sake of a Brahmin

अपिeven / also

वाor

प्राणान्life-breaths / life

संत्यजेत्should abandon / should give up

तेनby that / thereby

शुद्ध्यतिbecomes purified

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Brahmana

Nairriti (as the southwest quarter)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes