Shloka 17

Devanagari script

भोजनाच्छादने चैव मात्रा पित्रा च संग्रहम्‌ । स्वकृतेनाधिगच्छन्ति लोके नास्त्यकृतं पुरा

Transliteration

bhojanācchādane caiva mātrā pitrā ca saṅgraham | svakṛtenādhigacchanti loke nāsty akṛtaṃ purā ||

Translation

भोजनाच्छादने चैव मात्रा पित्रा च संग्रहम् । स्वकृतेनाधिगच्छन्ति लोके नास्त्यकृतं पुरा ॥

Word by Word

• भोजन: in food / in eating
• भोजन: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भोजन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• आच्छादने: in clothing / covering
• आच्छादने: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आच्छादन
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

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

• एव: indeed / just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• मात्रा: by the mother
• मात्रा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• पित्रा: by the father
• पित्रा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

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

• संग्रहम्: support / maintenance / care
• संग्रहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संग्रह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• स्वकृतेन: by one’s own deed/effort
• स्वकृतेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: स्वकृत
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अधिगच्छन्ति: they obtain / attain
• Type: Verb
• Root: अधि-गम्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• लोके: in the world
• लोके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: लोक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

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

• अस्ति: there is
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अकृतम्: what is not done / unearned (thing)
• अकृतम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकृत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• पुरा: formerly / beforehand
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: पुरा

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• mother
• father
• food
• clothing

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma emphasizes karmic causality and personal responsibility: even basic sustenance and the support one receives are connected to one’s own prior actions; nothing comes without a cause or without being earned through karma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct. Here he frames worldly welfare—such as food, clothing, and parental care—as outcomes governed by one’s deeds, reinforcing an ethical worldview of accountability.