Shloka 40

तीर्थवंशोपदेशः

Tīrtha-vaṃśa Upadeśa: Instruction on the Fruits of Sacred Waters

Devanagari script

विप्रस्थ रशना मौज्जी मौर्वी राजन्यगामिनी । बाल्वजी होव वैश्यस्य धर्म एष युधिष्ठिर,युधिष्ठिर! उपनयनके समय ब्राह्मणको मूँजकी, क्षत्रियको प्रत्यज्जाकी और वैश्यको शणकी मेखला धारण करनी चाहिये। यही धर्म है

Transliteration

viprasya raśanā mauñjī maurvī rājanyagāminī | bālvajī vāpi vaiśyasya dharma eṣa yudhiṣṭhira ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—యుధిష్ఠిరా! ఉపనయన సమయంలో బ్రాహ్మణునికి ముంజగడ్డి మేఖల, క్షత్రియునికి మౌర్వీ (ధనుస్సు తాడు తంతువు) మేఖల, వైశ్యునికి శణ/సన తంతువుతో చేసిన మేఖల ధరించవలెను. ఇదే ధర్మనియమం.

Word by Word

विप्रस्यof a Brahmin

रशनाgirdle

मौञ्जीmade of muñja-grass

मौर्वीa bowstring-like girdle (of murva-fibre)

राजन्यस्यof a Kshatriya

गामिनीgoing/pertaining (i.e., suitable/appropriate)

बाल्वजीa girdle made of flax/hemp (śaṇa etc.)

वाor

वैश्यस्यof a Vaishya

धर्मःduty; prescribed rule

एषःthis

युधिष्ठिरO Yudhishthira

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Yudhiṣṭhira

brāhmaṇa (vipra)

kṣatriya (rājanya)

vaiśya

mauñjī (muñja-grass girdle)

maurvī (bowstring-fibre girdle)

bālvajī (flax/hemp-fibre girdle)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma states a normative dharma-rule for the upanayana rite: each varṇa traditionally wears a specific material girdle, symbolizing disciplined entry into Vedic study and duty appropriate to one’s social role.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma answers Yudhiṣṭhira’s queries by detailing ritual prescriptions; here he specifies the proper initiation girdle materials for brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, and vaiśya.