Shloka 18

पात्रलक्षण-परिक्षा (Pātra-Lakṣaṇa Parīkṣā) — Criteria for a Worthy Recipient

Devanagari script

चित्रायुधांश्षाप्पजयन्नेते कृष्णाजिनध्वजा: । प्रक्षिप्पाथ च कुम्भान्‌ वै पारगामिनमारभेत्‌

Transliteration

citrāyudhān śāpajayann ete kṛṣṇājinadhvajāḥ | prakṣipyātha ca kumbhān vai pāragāminam ārabhet ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: Dẫu các chiến binh ấy mang đủ loại vũ khí rực rỡ, những Bà-la-môn này—lấy da linh dương đen làm dấu hiệu—vẫn khuất phục được họ. Vì thế, một Sát-đế-lỵ nên khởi sự các nghi lễ hướng về đời sau bằng cách bố thí cho Bà-la-môn những bình (kumbha) đầy nước.

Word by Word

• {'citrāyudhān': 'those possessing variegated/splendid weapons', 'jayann': 'conquering, overcoming', 'ete': 'these', 'kṛṣṇājina': 'black antelope skin (a Brahminical ascetic emblem)', 'dhvajāḥ': 'having as a banner/mark

• bearing as an emblem', 'prakṣipya': 'having offered/placed (as a gift/oblation), having presented', 'kumbhān': 'jars, pitchers (especially water-pots used in dāna/rites)', 'vai': 'indeed, surely', 'pāragāminam': 'leading to the further shore

• conducive to the next world (paraloka)', 'ārabhet': 'should begin, should undertake'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• brāhmaṇāḥ (Brahmins)
• kṣatriyaḥ (Kshatriya)
• kṛṣṇājina (black antelope skin)
• dhvaja (emblem/banner)
• kumbha (water-filled jar)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma emphasizes that spiritual authority and dharmic power (symbolized by the Brahmins’ kṛṣṇājina) can prevail over mere martial display, and he prescribes kumbha-dāna—gifting water-filled jars to Brahmins—as a kṣatriya’s proper way to commence acts intended for merit in the next world.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma cites an illustrative contrast: warriors with many impressive weapons are nevertheless defeated by Brahmins identified by the black antelope-skin emblem; from this he draws a practical injunction about beginning otherworldly, merit-seeking undertakings through a specific charitable rite—donating water-filled jars to Brahmins.