Shloka 27

च्यवन-कुशिक-संवादः

Cyavana–Kuśika Dialogue on Hospitality, Service, and Lineage Questions

Devanagari script

आत्मवद्‌ वै प्रयुड्जीरन्‌ संस्कारान्‌ ब्राह्मणादय: । धर्मशास्त्रेषु वर्णानां निश्चयो<यं प्रदृश्यते,इन दोनों प्रकारके पुत्रोंका भी अपने ही समान संस्कार करे--ऐसा शास्त्रका निश्चय है। ब्राह्मण आदिको चाहिये कि वे क्षेत्रज, अपसद तथा अध्यूढ--इन सभी प्रकारके पुत्रोंका अपने ही समान संस्कार करें। वर्णोके संस्कारके सम्बन्धमें धर्मशास्त्रोंका ऐसा ही निश्चय देखा जाता है। इस प्रकार मैंने ये सारी बातें तुम्हे बतायीं। अब और क्या सुनना चाहते हो?

Transliteration

ātmavad vai prayuñjīran saṃskārān brāhmaṇādayaḥ | dharmaśāstreṣu varṇānāṃ niścayo 'yaṃ pradṛśyate ||

Translation

भीष्म उवाच— ब्राह्मणादयः स्वात्मवत् पुत्रेषु संस्कारान् प्रयुञ्जीरन्। वर्णानां संस्कारविषये धर्मशास्त्रेष्वयं निश्चयः प्रदृश्यते।

Word by Word

आत्मवत्as oneself / like oneself

वैindeed

प्रयुञ्जीरन्should apply / should perform

संस्कारान्rites, sacraments

ब्राह्मण-आदयःBrahmins and others (the rest of the varnas)

धर्मशास्त्रेषुin the dharma-texts

वर्णानाम्of the social classes (varnas)

निश्चयःdecision, settled conclusion

अयम्this

प्रदृश्यतेis seen / is found

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

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?

That the prescribed saṃskāras (rites of passage) should be performed for one’s sons without discrimination—‘as for oneself’—and that this is the established Dharmaśāstra position regarding varṇa-based ritual duties.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, in his instruction on dharma, states a normative rule drawn from Dharmaśāstra: Brahmins and the other varṇas should duly administer the sacraments, affirming an authoritative conclusion about ritual obligations.