Shloka 3

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

Devanagari script

द्वादश्यां मार्गशीर्षे तु अहोरात्रेण केशवम्‌ । अर्च्याश्वमेधं प्राप्रोति दुष्कृतं चास्य नश्यति

Transliteration

dvādaśyāṁ mārgaśīrṣe tu ahorātreṇa keśavam | arcyāśvamedhaṁ prāpnoti duṣkṛtaṁ cāsya naśyati ||

Translation

Vào ngày Dvādaśī của tháng Mārgaśīrṣa, nếu một người giữ trai giới trọn ngày đêm và thờ phụng Keśava, người ấy sẽ được công đức ngang với lễ tế Aśvamedha, và mọi nghiệp ác của mình đều tiêu tan.

Word by Word

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

• मार्गशीर्षे: in (the month of) Mārgaśīrṣa
• मार्गशीर्षे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मार्गशीर्ष
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• तु: indeed/and/but
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• अहोरात्रेण: by (observing) a day-and-night (fast); for a full day and night
• अहोरात्रेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहोरात्र
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• केशवम्: Keśava (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)
• केशवम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: केशव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अर्च्य: having worshipped
• Type: Verb
• Root: अर्च्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), ल्यप् (ya), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral for gerund)

• अश्वमेधम्: the Aśvamedha (sacrifice) / (its) merit
• अश्वमेधम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अश्वमेध
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्राप्नोति: attains/obtains
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-आप्
• Form: Present (Laṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• दुष्कृतम्: sin/evil deed
• दुष्कृतम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दुष्कृत
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

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

• अस्य: of him/of this person
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• नश्यति: perishes/is destroyed
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश्
• Form: Present (Laṭ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Keśava (Viṣṇu/Kṛṣṇa)
• Mārgaśīrṣa (month)
• Dvādaśī (tithi)
• Aśvamedha (sacrifice)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A disciplined devotional observance—fasting and worship of Keśava on Mārgaśīrṣa Dvādaśī—can yield great merit comparable to an Aśvamedha and leads to the destruction of sinful karmic residue, highlighting inner sincerity and self-restraint as the heart of dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s instruction on dharma (Anuśāsana Parva), he recommends a specific sacred time and practice: keeping a day-and-night observance on Dvādaśī in Mārgaśīrṣa and worshipping Keśava, describing its spiritual reward and purificatory effect.