Anushasana Parva Adhyaya 174 Shloka 176 - Mahabharata | Urdu | Vedapath

Vyasa

Shloka 176

Devanagari script

अपसवब्यमकुर्वन्त धृतराष्ट्रमुखाश्रिताम्‌ तदनन्तर पाण्डवोंने विधिपूर्वक महात्मा भीष्मका पितृमेध कर्म सम्पन्न किया। अग्निमें बहुत-सी आहुतियाँ दी गयीं। साम-गान करनेवाले ब्राह्मण साममन्त्रोंका गान करने लगे तथा धृतराष्ट्र आदिने चन्दनकी लकड़ी

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca | apasavyam akurvanta dhṛtarāṣṭra-mukhāśritām | tadanantaraṃ pāṇḍavaiḥ vidhipūrvakaṃ mahātmā bhīṣmasya pitṛmedha-karma sampannaṃ kṛtam | agnau bahvyo 'hutiḥ pradattāḥ | sāma-gāna-kartāro brāhmaṇāḥ sāma-mantrān agāyan | tathā dhṛtarāṣṭrādayaś candana-kāṣṭhaiḥ kālī-candanaiḥ sugandhi-dravyaiś ca bhīṣmasya śarīram ācchādya tasya citāyām agniṃ prajvālayām āsuḥ | tataḥ dhṛtarāṣṭrādayaḥ sarve kauravāḥ etāṃ jvalantīṃ citāṃ pradakṣiṇam akurvan |

Translation

وَیشَمپایَن نے کہا— دھرتراشٹر کے زیرِ قیادت لوگوں نے شاستری ودھی کے مطابق اَپسَوْیَ (الٹی سمت) طریقے سے کرم انجام دیے۔ اس کے بعد پانڈوؤں نے رسم کے مطابق مہاتما بھیشم کا پِترمیدھ (آخری رسومات) مکمل کیا۔ آگ میں بہت سی آہوتیاں ڈالی گئیں۔ سام گان میں ماہر برہمن سام منتر گانے لگے۔ پھر دھرتراشٹر وغیرہ نے چندن کی لکڑی، سیاہ چندن اور خوشبودار اشیا سے بھیشم کے جسد کو ڈھانپ کر چتا میں آگ روشن کی۔ اس کے بعد دھرتراشٹر سمیت تمام کوروؤں نے جلتی ہوئی چتا کی پردکشِنا کی۔

Word by Word

अपसव्यंcounterclockwise (in reverse direction)

अकुर्वन्तthey did / performed

धृतराष्ट्रमुखाश्रिताम्dependent on (i.e., guided by) Dhṛtarāṣṭra and the chief (elders)

तत्then / that

अनन्तरम्after that / thereafter

पाण्डवैःby the Pāṇḍavas

विधिपूर्वकम्according to rule / duly

महात्माthe great-souled one

भीष्मस्यof Bhīṣma

पितृमेधम्funeral rite (piṭṛ-medha)

कर्मrite / act

सम्पन्नम्completed / accomplished

अग्नौin the fire

बह्वीःmany

आहुतिःoblations

दत्ताःwere given

सामगानकर्तारःSāma-chanters (those who sing Sāman)

ब्राह्मणाःBrahmins

साममन्त्राणाम्of the Sāma-mantras

गानम्chanting / singing

चक्रुःthey performed / they began (to do)

तथाand likewise

धृतराष्ट्रादयःDhṛtarāṣṭra and others

चन्दनकाष्ठम्sandalwood logs

कालीचन्दनम्black sandalwood

सुगन्धिद्रव्यैःwith fragrant substances

भीष्मस्यof Bhīṣma

शरीरम्body

आच्छाद्यhaving covered

तस्यhis (i.e., that)

चितायाम्on the funeral pyre

अग्निम्fire

प्रज्वालयामासुःthey kindled / set alight

पुनःthen / again

धृतराष्ट्रादयःDhṛtarāṣṭra and others

सर्वेall

कौरवाःKauravas

एतस्याम्of this / in this

दीप्यमानायाम्while (it was) blazing

चितायाम्around the pyre

प्रदक्षिणाम्circumambulation

चक्रुःthey did / performed

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Dhṛtarāṣṭra

Pāṇḍavas

Bhīṣma

Kauravas

Brāhmaṇas (Sāma-chanters)

Agni (fire)

Citā (funeral pyre)

Sandalwood (candana)

Dark sandalwood (kālī-candana)

Fragrant substances (sugandhi-dravya)

Sāma mantras (Sāma-veda hymns)

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?

Even amid enmity and the aftermath of war, dharma requires honoring the departed through prescribed rites. The passage emphasizes disciplined ritual conduct, reverence for a venerable elder (Bhīṣma), and the ethical restoration of order through duty-bound remembrance.

What is happening in the narrative?

After Bhīṣma’s passing, the Pāṇḍavas complete his funerary obsequies (pitṛmedha) with fire-offerings while Sāma-vedic hymns are sung. Dhṛtarāṣṭra and the Kauravas adorn Bhīṣma’s body with sandalwood and fragrances, ignite the pyre, and then circumambulate the burning pyre as a final act of honor.