Shloka 21
Adharmic Victory as Unstable; Rules of Restraint, Mediation, and Conciliation (अधर्मविजय-अध्रुवत्व तथा क्षमा-नयः)
Devanagari script
अन्निहोत्राग्निशेषं च हविभोजनमेव च । आजहार दिवोदासस्ततो विप्रकृतो&भवत्
Transliteration
annihotrāgniśeṣaṃ ca havibhojanam eva ca | ājahāra divodāsas tato viprakṛto 'bhavat ||
Translation
अग्निहोत्राग्निशेषं च हविभोजनमेव च । आजहार दिवोदासस्ततो विप्रकृतोऽभवत् ॥
Word by Word
अग्निहोत्राग्निशेषम्the remainder (left) of the agnihotra fire-offering
अग्निहोत्राग्निशेषम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootअग्निहोत्र-अग्नि-शेष
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
हविभोजनम्the eating of the oblation (havis)
हविभोजनम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootहविस्-भोजन
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
एवindeed/just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
आजहाराbrought/fetched
आजहारा:
TypeVerb
Rootआ-हृ
FormPerfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Singular
दिवोदासःDivodāsa (proper name)
दिवोदासः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदिवोदास
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
ततःthen/thereupon
ततः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः
विप्रकृतःwronged/ill-treated (by a brāhmaṇa / by the learned)
विप्रकृतः:
TypeAdjective
Rootविप्रकृत
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
अभवत्became/was
अभवत्:
TypeVerb
Rootभू
FormImperfect (Laṅ), 3rd, Singular
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhīṣmaD
DivodāsaA
AgnihotraA
Agni (sacrificial fire)H
havis (oblation)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Even a king must not appropriate what belongs to sacred rites or priestly entitlement; violating ritual boundaries and disrespecting brāhmaṇas leads to moral blame and loss of dharmic standing.
Bhīṣma cites Divodāsa as an example: by taking the Agnihotra remainder and consuming what was meant as havis, Divodāsa incurred the fault of wronging brāhmaṇas and became censured as viprakṛta.