Shloka 53

Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa

Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results

Devanagari script

अपत्यं तेजसा युक्त प्रवीरं जनय प्रभो । यद्‌ भयं नोअसुरात्‌ तस्मान्नाशयेद्धव्यवाहन,प्रभो! हव्यवाहन! तुम एक ऐसा तेजस्वी और महावीर पुत्र उत्पन्न करो जो उस असुरसे प्राप्त होनेवाले हमारे भयका नाश करे

Transliteration

apatyaṃ tejasā yuktaṃ pravīraṃ janaya prabho | yad bhayaṃ no 'surāt tasmān nāśayed dhavyavāhana ||

Translation

హే ప్రభూ! హే హవ్యవాహనా! ఆ అసురుని వల్ల మాకు కలిగిన భయాన్ని నశింపజేయగల తేజస్సుతో కూడిన మహావీర కుమారుని జనింపజేయుము.

Word by Word

अपत्यम्offspring, child

तेजसाby/with splendor, energy

युक्तम्endowed (with), possessed of

प्रवीरम्a great hero, very valiant

जनयbeget, produce (you should beget)

प्रभोO lord

यत्which, that (relative)

भयम्fear

नःof us, our

असुरात्from the asura/demon

तस्मात्from that (source/one)

नाशयेत्may he destroy, should he remove

हव्यवाहनO Havyavāhana (Agni, carrier of oblations)

प्रभोO lord

हव्यवाहनO Agni (carrier of offerings)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Havyavāhana (Agni)

Asura

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights seeking righteous protection through divine means: when a community faces an unrighteous threat, it may pray for the rise of a virtuous, radiant hero whose strength is aligned with dharma and who can remove fear and restore order.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma addresses Agni (Havyavāhana), imploring him to beget a powerful and radiant son who will eliminate the danger posed by an Asura and thereby remove the fear afflicting them.