Shloka 97

मानसतीर्थ-शौचप्रशंसा | Praise of the ‘Mental Tīrtha’ and the Marks of Purity

Devanagari script

सदा द्वादशमासान्‌ वै जुह्मानो जातवेदसम्‌ | अहिंसानिरतो धीमान्‌ सत्यवागनसूयक:

Transliteration

sadā dvādaśa-māsān vai juhmāno jātavedasam | ahiṁsā-nirato dhīmān satyavāg anasūyakaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Người suốt mười hai tháng không ngừng dâng lễ vật vào Jātavedas (lửa tế), chuyên tâm bất hại, xử sự khôn ngoan, lời nói chân thật và không bới lỗi người khác—người ấy hiện thân cho đời sống kỷ luật và đạo hạnh mà dharma ca ngợi.”

Word by Word

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा
• Form: Avyaya (indeclinable adverb)

• द्वादश: twelve
• द्वादश: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: द्वादश
• Form: Masculine, accusative, plural (agreeing with मासान्)

• मासान्: months
• मासान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास
• Form: Masculine, accusative, plural

• वै: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै
• Form: Avyaya (emphatic particle)

• जुह्मानः: offering (in sacrifice), performing oblations
• जुह्मानः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु
• Form: Present active participle (शतृ), masculine nominative singular

• जातवेदसम्: Jātavedas (Agni)
• जातवेदसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जातवेदस्
• Form: Masculine, accusative, singular

• अहिंसा: in non-violence
• अहिंसा: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहिंसा
• Form: Feminine, locative singular (in -आ stem: अहिंसायाम् → अहिंसा in poetic usage)

• निरतः: engaged, devoted
• निरतः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरत
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

• धीमान्: wise, intelligent
• धीमान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धीमन्
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

• सत्यवाक्: truth-speaking
• सत्यवाक्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सत्यवाच्
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

• अनसूयकः: free from envy/censure
• अनसूयकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनसूयक
• Form: Masculine, nominative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Jātavedas (Agni)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ritual practice (regular fire-offerings through the yearly cycle) is presented alongside moral disciplines—non-violence, truthfulness, wisdom, and freedom from fault-finding—implying that dharma is fulfilled most completely when outer observance is matched by inner ethical restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues instructing on dharma and virtuous conduct. Here he describes the qualities of an exemplary practitioner: one who maintains sustained sacrificial observance while embodying key ethical virtues, highlighting the ideal character praised in his discourse.