Shloka 9

Devanagari script

धुरि ये नावसीदन्ति विषये सदगवा इव । पितृदेवातिथिमुखा हव्यकव्याग्रभोजिन:

Transliteration

dhuri ye nāvasīdanti viṣaye sadgavā iva | pitṛdevātithimukhā havyakavyāgrabhojinaḥ ||

Translation

Бхишма сказал: «Те, кто не тонет и не ослабевает под ярмом ответственности в мирской жизни — как добрые волы, что никогда не ленятся под ношей, — не чувствуют тяготы, неся бремя дхармы. Такие люди становятся, словно бы, “устами” богов, предков и гостей: они первыми имеют право принять первые доли подношений — будь то хавья (havya) в обрядах для богов или кавья (kavya) в обрядах для предков.»

Word by Word

• धुरि: on the yoke / in the burden-bearing position
• धुरि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धुर्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• अवसीदन्ति: sink down / become slack / fail
• Type: Verb
• Root: अव√सद्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• विषये: in the sphere (of duty) / in the domain
• विषये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: विषय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• सत्: good / noble
• सत्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• गवाः: bulls/oxen
• गवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• इव: like / as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• पितृ-देव-अतिथि-मुखाः: having (as) mouths the Fathers, gods, and guests (i.e., whose ‘mouths’ are they)
• पितृ-देव-अतिथि-मुखाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पितृ + देव + अतिथि + मुख
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हव्य-कव्य-अग्र-भोजिनः: eating first portions of oblations to gods (havyā) and to ancestors (kavyā)
• हव्य-कव्य-अग्र-भोजिनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: हव्य + कव्य + अग्र + भोजिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• pitṛ (ancestors)
• deva (gods)
• atithi (guest)
• havya (offerings to gods)
• kavya (offerings to ancestors)
• oxen (metaphorical comparison)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Steadfastness in bearing one’s responsibilities—especially the practical burdens of dharma in worldly life—is a mark of the truly virtuous. Such people become foremost beneficiaries of religious merit and social honor, symbolized by receiving the first portions in offerings to gods and ancestors and by being central to hospitality.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma (Anuśāsana Parva), he praises those who do not falter under duty. Using the image of strong oxen under a yoke, he describes exemplary householders/virtuous persons as primary recipients in ritual and hospitality—metaphorically the ‘mouths’ through which gods, ancestors, and guests are served.