Shloka 53

तीर्थवंशोपदेशः

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

Devanagari script

अकल्ककस्य विप्रस्य रौक्ष्यात्‌ करकृतात्मन: । वटवो यस्य भिक्षन्ति तेभ्यो दत्त महाफलम्‌

Transliteration

akalkakasya viprasya raukṣyāt karakṛtātmanaḥ | vaṭavo yasya bhikṣanti tebhyo dattaṃ mahāphalam ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—కపటము లేని బ్రాహ్మణుడు తీవ్రమైన దారిద్ర్యముచేత కఠినుడై, చేతిలో కొద్దిపాటి అన్నము వచ్చిన వెంటనే అతని ఆకలిగొన్న పిల్లలు “నాకు ఇవ్వు, నాకు ఇవ్వు” అని వేడుకొనినచో—అటువంటి బ్రాహ్మణునికీ ఆ పిల్లలకీ ఇచ్చిన దానం మహాఫలదాయకము.

Word by Word

• अकल्ककस्य: of the guileless/spotless (one)
• अकल्ककस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अकल्कक
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• विप्रस्य: of the brahmin
• विप्रस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• रौक्ष्यात्: from/owing to poverty (destitution)
• रौक्ष्यात्: Hetu
• Type: Noun
• Root: रौक्ष्य
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• करकृतात्मनः: whose self is made by (his) hands; one who lives by manual work
• करकृतात्मनः: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: करकृतात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• वटवः: boys/children (students)
• वटवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वटु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यस्य: whose
• यस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• भिक्षन्ति: beg (for alms)
• भिक्षन्ति: Kriya
• Type: Verb
• Root: भिक्ष्
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• तेभ्यः: to them
• तेभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Plural

• दत्तम्: given (gift/charity)
• दत्तम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: दा
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• महाफलम्: great-fruited; yielding great result
• महाफलम्: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महाफल
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• a guileless poor brāhmaṇa (vipra)
• children/boys (vaṭavaḥ)
• food/alms (implied)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Charity directed to the truly needy—especially a guileless, impoverished brāhmaṇa and his hungry children—produces great merit; the recipient’s innocence and distress intensify the ethical value of the gift.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma is instructing on dharma of giving, describing a destitute brāhmaṇa whose children immediately beg for any food he obtains, and declaring that giving to such a household is supremely fruitful.