Shloka 141

Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa

Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results

Devanagari script

देवपक्षचरा: सौम्या: प्राजापत्या महर्षय: । आप्नवन्ति तपश्चैव ब्रह्मचर्य परं तथा

Transliteration

devapakṣacarāḥ saumyāḥ prājāpatyā maharṣayaḥ | āpnavanti tapaś caiva brahmacarya-paraṃ tathā ||

Translation

वसिष्ठ उवाच—एते प्राजापत्यवंशसम्भवा महर्षयः सौम्यस्वभावा देवपक्षचराः स्युः; तपसा च परेण ब्रह्मचर्येण च बलमाप्नुवन्तु।

Word by Word

• देवपक्षचराः: moving/acting on the side of the gods
• देवपक्षचराः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: देवपक्षचर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सौम्याः: gentle, benign
• सौम्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सौम्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्राजापत्याः: belonging to Prajapati / of Prajapati’s lineage
• प्राजापत्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्राजापत्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• महर्षयः: great sages
• महर्षयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• आप्नवन्ति: they obtain, attain
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप् (आप्नोति)
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• एव: indeed, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• ब्रह्मचर्यम्: celibacy; disciplined student-life
• ब्रह्मचर्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचर्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• परम्: supreme, excellent
• परम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पर
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• तथा: thus, likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Prajāpati (Prajāpatis)
• Maharṣis
• Devas (gods)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse praises and enjoins a dharmic ideal for sages: gentleness (saumya-bhāva), alignment with divine order (standing with the devas), and inner power gained through tapas (austerity) and brahmacarya (disciplined restraint). Ethical authority is shown as arising from self-control rather than force.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vasiṣṭha is speaking a benedictive or prescriptive statement about a group of great seers of Prajāpati lineage—describing how they should be in character and what spiritual strengths they should attain: devotion to the gods’ side, austerity, and exemplary brahmacarya.