Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 167

Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa

Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results

Devanagari script

भीष्मजी कहते हैं--युधिष्ठि!! वसिष्ठजीके ऐसा कहनेपर प्रतापी परशुरामजीने ब्राह्मणोंको सुवर्णका दान किया। इससे वे सब पापोंसे छुटकारा पा गये ।।

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca—yudhiṣṭhira! vasiṣṭhasyaivaṃ vacanaṃ śrutvā pratāpī paraśurāmo brāhmaṇebhyaḥ suvarṇaṃ dadau; tena te sarve pāpebhyaḥ pramucyanta. etat te sarvam ākhyātaṃ suvarṇasya mahīpate, pradānasya phalaṃ caiva janma cāsya yudhiṣṭhira.

Translation

Wika ni Bhishma: “Yudhishthira! Nang masabi ni Vasiṣṭha ang gayon, ang makapangyarihang Parashurama ay nagkaloob ng ginto sa mga Brahmin. Sa handog na iyon, silang lahat ay napalaya sa lahat ng kasalanan. O hari, naipahayag ko na sa iyo nang ganap ang pinagmulan ng ginto at ang bunga ng pagbibigay nito—lahat, O Yudhishthira.”

Word by Word

• [{'term': 'bhīṣma uvāca', 'definition': 'Bhishma said'}, {'term': 'yudhiṣṭhira', 'definition': 'Yudhishthira

• the righteous Pandava king addressed by Bhishma'}, {'term': 'vasiṣṭha', 'definition': 'Vasistha

• revered sage whose words prompt the act of charity'}, {'term': 'pratāpī', 'definition': 'mighty, valorous, possessed of splendor/energy'}, {'term': 'paraśurāma', 'definition': 'Parashurama

• warrior-sage (Rama with the axe), famed for austerity and martial prowess'}, {'term': 'brāhmaṇa', 'definition': 'Brahmin

• member of the priestly/learned class, recipient of the gift'}, {'term': 'suvarṇa', 'definition': 'gold

• here the object of donation and the topic of its origin and merit'}, {'term': 'pradāna', 'definition': 'giving, donation, charitable bestowal'}, {'term': 'phala', 'definition': 'fruit, result, merit (of an action)'}, {'term': 'pāpa', 'definition': 'sin, demerit, moral stain'}, {'term': 'pramucyante', 'definition': 'they are freed/released (from bondage or sin)'}, {'term': 'ākhyāta', 'definition': 'told, explained, narrated'}, {'term': 'mahīpate', 'definition': 'lord of the earth

• king (vocative)'}, {'term': 'janma', 'definition': 'birth, origin (here: origin of gold)'}]

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Yudhishthira
• Vasistha
• Parashurama
• Brahmins
• Gold (Suvarṇa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores the purifying power of dāna (charitable giving), especially the gift of gold to worthy recipients, and frames such generosity as a dharmic act that removes pāpa (moral demerit) and yields spiritual merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma concludes an explanation to King Yudhishthira: after hearing Vasistha’s counsel, Parashurama donates gold to Brahmins, through which they are freed from sins; Bhishma then states he has fully narrated both the origin of gold and the results of donating it.