Shloka 51

Āśrama-dharma: Duties of the Four Life-Stages (आश्रमधर्मः)

Devanagari script

तानि यः सम्प्रजानाति ज्ञाननिश्चयनिश्षित: । द्विजाति: श्रद्धयोपेत: स यह्टूं पुरुषो5रहति

Transliteration

tāni yaḥ samprajānāti jñānaniścayaniṣṣitaḥ | dvijātiḥ śraddhayopetaḥ sa yaṣṭuṃ puruṣo 'rhati ||

Translation

ผู้ใดรู้เรื่องเหล่านั้นโดยถ่องแท้ ผู้ซึ่งความเชื่อมั่นถูกลับคมด้วยความรู้ที่ตั้งมั่น และเป็นทวิชผู้ประกอบด้วยศรัทธา—ผู้นั้นแลจึงสมควรประกอบยัญ

Word by Word

तानिthose (things)

यःwho

सम्प्रजानातिfully knows, clearly understands

ज्ञानof knowledge

निश्चयof ascertainment, determination

निश्षितःsharpened; well-trained; perfected

द्विजातिःa twice-born (Brahmin/Kshatriya/Vaishya)

श्रद्धयाwith faith

उपेतःendowed with, possessed of

सःhe

यष्टुम्to sacrifice, to perform a yajña

पुरुषःa man, person

अर्हतिis fit, deserves, is entitled

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ritual action (yajña) should be undertaken by one who has clear understanding and firm knowledge, and who possesses śraddhā; worthiness is tied to inner qualification—discernment and faith—rather than mere external performance.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct. Here he specifies the qualifications of a person who may properly perform sacrifice, emphasizing knowledge-based certainty and sincere faith as prerequisites.