Shloka 148

Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa

Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results

Devanagari script

अग्न्यभावे च कुरुते वह्निस्थानेषु काउ्चनम्‌ | जामदग्न्य प्रमाणज्ञो वेदश्रुतिनिदर्शनात्‌

Transliteration

agnyabhāve ca kurute vahnistāneṣu kāñcanam | jāmadagnyaḥ pramāṇajño vedaśrutinidarśanāt ||

Translation

వసిష్ఠుడు పలికెను—అగ్ని లేనప్పుడు, అగ్ని ఉండవలసిన స్థానాలలో స్వర్ణాన్ని ప్రత్యామ్నాయంగా వినియోగించవచ్చు; ఇది వేదశ్రుతి దృష్టాంతంతో ప్రమాణితం. ఓ జామదగ్న్య పరశురామా, ప్రమాణజ్ఞుడు ఇలానే ఆచరిస్తాడు.

Word by Word

• अग्नि-अभावे: in the absence of fire
• अग्नि-अभावे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अग्न्यभाव (अग्नि + अभाव)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

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

• कुरुते: does; makes; uses
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• वह्नि-स्थानेषु: in the places of fire
• वह्नि-स्थानेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वह्निस्थान (वह्नि + स्थान)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• काञ्चनम्: gold
• काञ्चनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: काञ्चन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• जामदग्न्यः: Jāmadagnya (Paraśurāma)
• जामदग्न्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जामदग्न्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रमाण-ज्ञः: knower of authority/valid means (of knowledge)
• प्रमाण-ज्ञः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रमाणज्ञ (प्रमाण + ज्ञ)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• वेद-श्रुति-निदर्शनात्: from/through the illustration of Vedic śruti
• वेद-श्रुति-निदर्शनात्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेदश्रुतिनिदर्शन (वेद + श्रुति + निदर्शन)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• Jamadagni
• Paraśurāma (Jāmadagnya)
• Agni (fire)
• Kāñcana (gold)
• Veda
• Śruti

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma and ritual duty are guided by Vedic authority; when the primary requirement (fire) is genuinely unavailable, one may use an approved substitute (gold) as supported by śruti-based precedent, preserving the intent of the rite rather than abandoning it.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vasiṣṭha addresses Paraśurāma (Jāmadagnya), citing a Vedic-style example: in the absence of fire, gold may be used in the ritual context where fire would normally be employed, demonstrating how learned authorities apply śruti-backed alternatives under constraint.