Shloka 18

Ajagara-vrata (The ‘Python’ Discipline): Prahrāda Questions a Wandering Sage

Devanagari script

विशेषतस्तु कार्तिक्यां द्विजेभ्य: सम्प्रयच्छति । शरद्‌ व्यपाये रत्नानि पौर्णमास्यामिति श्रुति:,विशेषत:ः कार्तिककी पूर्णिमाको, जब कि शरद्‌-ऋतुकी समाप्ति होती है, वह ब्राह्मणोंको रत्नोंका दान करता था; ऐसा सुननेमें आया है

Transliteration

viśeṣatas tu kārtikyāṁ dvijebhyaḥ samprayacchati | śarad-vyapāye ratnāni paurṇamāsyām iti śrutiḥ ||

Translation

خصوصاً کارتک کی پورنیما کو—جب خزاں کا موسم رخصت ہونے لگتا—وہ دُوِجوں (برہمنوں) کو جواہرات کا دان کرتا تھا؛ یہی روایت سنی گئی ہے۔

Word by Word

विशेषतःespecially, in particular

तुbut, indeed

कार्तिक्याम्in (the month/night of) Kārtikī (Kārtika full-moon time)

द्विजेभ्यःto the twice-born (Brahmins)

सम्प्रयच्छतिgives, bestows

शरद्of autumn

व्यपायेat the passing/end

रत्नानिgems, jewels

पौर्णमास्याम्on the full-moon day/night

इतिthus, as follows

श्रुतिःtradition/hearsay; it is heard

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Brahmins (dvija)

Kartik Purnima (paurṇamāsī in Kārtika)

Jewels (ratna)

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?

The verse highlights the dharmic ideal of timely, purposeful charity: giving valuable gifts—here, jewels—to worthy recipients (Brahmins) on an auspicious calendrical occasion (Kārtika full moon), emphasizing that dāna gains special merit when aligned with sacred time and right recipients.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma, instructing on dharma in the Śānti Parva, cites a received tradition (śruti) that a virtuous giver would particularly donate jewels to Brahmins on the Kārtika full-moon day, associated with the close of the autumn season.