Shloka 14

अन्नदानफलं (Anna-dāna-phala) / The Fruit of Food-Giving

Devanagari script

द्वादश्यां कार्तिके मासि पूज्य दामोदरेति च | गवां यज्ञमवाप्रोति पुमान्‌ स्त्री वा न संशय:

Transliteration

dvādaśyāṁ kārtike māsi pūjya dāmodareti ca | gavāṁ yajñam avāpnoti pumān strī vā na saṁśayaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: Vào ngày Dvādaśī trong tháng Kārttika, ai giữ trai giới suốt ngày đêm và thờ phụng Đức Dāmodara, dù là nam hay nữ, đều chắc chắn đạt công đức ngang với go-yajña (tế lễ bò). Không còn nghi ngờ gì về điều ấy.

Word by Word

• द्वादश्याम्: on the Dvādaśī (12th lunar day)
• द्वादश्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्वादशी
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• कार्तिके: in (the month of) Kārttika
• कार्तिके: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिक
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• मासि: in the month
• मासि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मास
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• पूज्य: having worshipped
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज्
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), Active (parasmaipada sense), Non-finite

• दामोदरम्: Dāmodara (Vishnu/Krishna)
• दामोदरम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: दामोदर
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इति: thus / as (called)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• गवाम्: of cows
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Plural

• यज्ञम्: the sacrifice (yajña)
• यज्ञम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अवाप्नोति: obtains / attains
• Type: Verb
• Root: अवाप्
• Form: Lat (Present), Parasmaipada, Third, Singular

• पुमान्: a man
• पुमान्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुमांस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्त्री: a woman
• स्त्री: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Dāmodara
• Kārttika (month)
• Dvādaśī (tithi)
• Go-yajña (cow-sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Worship of Lord Dāmodara on Kārttika Dvādaśī, accompanied by fasting/observance, grants very high merit—comparable to a go-yajña—and this spiritual benefit is open equally to men and women.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s instruction on dharma, he recommends a specific sacred observance: on the Dvādaśī tithi in the month of Kārttika, one should worship Dāmodara; he assures Yudhiṣṭhira that the resulting merit is certain and great.