Shloka 36

Nṛga-upākhyāna: Brāhmaṇa-sva and the Consequence of Misappropriated Gift-Cattle (कृकलास-रूपे नृगोपाख्यानम्)

Devanagari script

सर्वाण्यस्वामिकान्याहुर्न हि तत्र परिग्रह: । इत्येतद्‌ भूमिदानस्य फलमुक्तं विशाम्पते,वन, पर्वत, नदी और तीर्थ--ये सब स्थान किसी स्वामीके अधीन नहीं होते हैं (इन्हें सार्वजनिक माना जाता है)। इसलिये वहाँ श्राद्ध करनेके लिये भूमि खरीदनेकी आवश्यकता नहीं है। प्रजानाथ! इस प्रकार यह भूमिदानका फल बताया गया है

Transliteration

sarvāṇy asvāmikāny āhur na hi tatra parigrahaḥ | ity etad bhūmidānasya phalam uktaṃ viśāṃpate ||

Translation

सर्वाण्यस्वामिकान्याहुर्न हि तत्र परिग्रहः। इत्येतद् भूमिदानस्य फलमुक्तं विशाम्पते॥

Word by Word

{'sarvāṇi''all (things/places)', 'asvāmikāni': 'ownerless

not under a private proprietor', 'āhuḥ''they say

they declare', 'na''not', 'hi': 'indeed

for', 'tatra''there

in that case/place', 'parigrahaḥ''appropriation

taking as one’s own', 'iti''thus', 'etat': 'this', 'bhūmi-dānasya': 'of the gift of land', 'phalam': 'fruit

merit', 'uktam''has been said

has been taught', 'viśāṃpate''O lord of the people (address to Yudhiṣṭhira)'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Yudhiṣṭhira (viśāṃpati)

bhūmi-dāna (gift of land)

parigraha (appropriation/possession)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Certain natural and sacred locales are treated as common/ownerless (asvāmika), so private appropriation (parigraha) does not apply there; hence one need not buy land in such places merely to perform rites like śrāddha. The passage frames this as part of the teaching on the merit and proper understanding of bhūmi-dāna (gifting land).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on gifts and ritual duties, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira. Here he clarifies a practical point about where ownership is not recognized—implying that ritual performance in forests, mountains, rivers, and tīrthas does not require purchasing ground—while concluding that this is the stated ‘fruit’ or doctrinal import connected with land-gift.