Shloka 37

Śrāddha-Kalpa: Pitṛ-Pūjā and Tithi-Phala (श्राद्धकल्पः पितृपूजा च तिथिफलम्)

Devanagari script

राम विप्रा: सत्क्रियन्तां वेदप्रामाण्यदर्शनात्‌ | भूयश्व विप्रर्षिगणा: प्रष्टव्या: पावन प्रति

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | rāma viprāḥ satkriyantāṃ vedaprāmāṇyadarśanāt | bhūyaś ca viprarṣigaṇāḥ praṣṭavyāḥ pāvana prati ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Hỡi Rāma (Paraśurāma), vì ông xem Veda là thẩm quyền tối thượng, hãy kính trọng các Bà-la-môn. Và vì điều thanh tịnh này, ông nên lại đem câu hỏi của mình thưa với hội chúng các bậc Bà-la-môn hiền triết.”

Word by Word

• राम: O Rama
• Type: Noun
• Root: राम
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• विप्राः: brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सत्क्रियन्ताम्: let (them) be honored / treated respectfully
• Type: Verb
• Root: सत्कृ
• Form: Imperative, Third, Plural, Passive

• वेद: of the Veda
• Type: Noun
• Root: वेद
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• प्रामाण्य: in/with regard to authority (validity)
• प्रामाण्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रामाण्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• दर्शनात्: from/through (your) view/consideration
• दर्शनात्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: दर्शन
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• भूयः: again, further
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भूयस्

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

• विप्रर्षिगणाः: groups of brahmin-sages
• विप्रर्षिगणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्रर्षिगण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रष्टव्याः: are to be asked / should be questioned
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्रच्छ्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, Gerundive (to be asked)

• पावन: purifying, holy
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पावन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• प्रति: towards; concerning; for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रति

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Rama (Parashurama)
• Brahmins (viprāḥ)
• Brahmin-sages (viprarṣigaṇāḥ)
• Vedas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that acknowledging the Vedas as authoritative should express itself ethically as reverence toward Brahmins and humility in seeking guidance from realized sages—especially when the topic is spiritually purifying.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma addresses Parashurama, urging him to honor Brahmins and to renew his inquiry by consulting an assembly of Brahmin-sages regarding a purifying subject, emphasizing proper procedure: respect and learned counsel grounded in Vedic authority.