Shloka 14

Śrāddha-Kalpa: Pitṛ-Pūjā and Tithi-Phala (श्राद्धकल्पः पितृपूजा च तिथिफलम्)

Devanagari script

तत्‌ समाप्य यथोटद्विष्ट॑ पूर्वकर्म समाहित: । दातुं निर्वप्णं सम्यग्‌ यथावदहमारभम्‌,एकाग्रचित्त होकर शास्त्रोक्तविधिसे पिण्डदानके पहलेके सब कार्य समाप्त करके मैंने विधिवत्‌ पिण्डदान देना आरम्भ किया

Transliteration

tat samāpya yathokta-dviṣṭa-pūrvakarma samāhitaḥ | dātuṃ nirvapṇaṃ samyag yathāvad aham ārabham ||

Translation

ఏకాగ్రచిత్తుడై శాస్త్రోక్త విధానమున ప్రకారం పిండదానానికి ముందున్న అన్ని కర్మలను ముగించి, నేను యథావిధిగా నిర్వపణం—అంటే పిండదానం—ప్రారంభించితిని।

Word by Word

तत्that (act/rite)

समाप्यhaving completed

यथोक्तas prescribed/said

द्विष्टhated/hostile

पूर्वकर्मthe prior rites/previous acts

समाहितःcomposed, concentrated

दातुम्to give

निर्वपणम्offering/placing (esp. oblation, piṇḍa-offering)

सम्यक्properly, correctly

यथावत्according to rule, duly

अहम्I

आरभम्I began/undertook

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse emphasizes disciplined adherence to śāstric procedure: one should complete the prescribed preliminaries with mental composure, and only then perform the main act of giving (here, the piṇḍa/oblation). Ethical action is framed as careful, rule-guided, and mindful.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma describes his own performance of a śrāddha-related rite: after finishing the required preliminary actions, he begins the proper offering of the nirvapṇa (ritual oblation/piṇḍa) in the correct manner.