Shloka 1

अलोभोपाख्यानम् — शुनःसख-यातुधानी-संवादः

The Allegory of Non-Greed: Śunaḥsakha and the Yātudhānī

Devanagari script

ऑऔपनआक्ाा बछ। अर: द्विनवतितमो< ध्याय: पितर और देवताओंका श्राद्धान्नले अजीर्ण होकर ब्रद्माजीके पास जाना और अग्निके द्वारा अजीर्णका निवारण

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | tathā nimau pravṛtte tu sarva eva maharṣayaḥ | pitṛyajñaṃ tu kurvanti vidhidṛṣṭena karmaṇā ||

Translation

Wika ni Bhishma: “O Yudhishthira, nang si Haring Nimi ay unang nagpasimula ng kaugaliang ito, ang lahat ng dakilang rishi ay nagsimulang magsagawa ng handog para sa mga ninuno (pitṛ-yajña) ayon sa mga ritong itinakda ng kasulatan. Dito, ang diwang etikal ay ang pagpapanatili ng pasasalamat at pananagutan sa mga ninuno sa pamamagitan ng maayos at wastong ritwal, hindi ayon sa kapritso ng tao.”

Word by Word

• तथा: thus, in that manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• निमौ: in (the case of) Nimi
• निमौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: निमि
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• प्रवृत्ते: having begun / engaged (in)
• प्रवृत्ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रवृत्त
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तु: but, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• सर्वे: all
• सर्वे: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• एव: indeed, just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• महर्षयः: great sages
• महर्षयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: महर्षि
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• पितृयज्ञम्: the ancestral sacrifice (rite for the Pitṛs)
• पितृयज्ञम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृयज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• तु: and/but (emphatic)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• कुर्वन्ति: they perform
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• विधिदृष्टेन: as prescribed by rule / seen in the injunctions
• विधिदृष्टेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विधिदृष्ट
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• कर्मणा: by (the proper) act/ritual procedure
• कर्मणा: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन्
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Yudhishthira
• Nimi
• Maharshis (sages)
• Pitṛs (ancestors/manes)
• Pitṛ-yajña (ancestral rite)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That pitṛ-yajña (ancestral offerings) should be performed in accordance with scriptural injunction (vidhi), and that exemplary beginnings by a righteous figure (here, Nimi) can establish a dharmic practice that others follow.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma explains to Yudhishthira that once Nimi initiated the practice of śrāddha/pitṛ-yajña, the great sages subsequently undertook the ancestral rite as well, performing it according to the prescribed ritual rules.