Shloka 1

Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्

Devanagari script

०४८ श्यु 8 त्रिनववतितमो<्थ्याय: गृहस्थके धर्मोका रहस्य

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | dvijātayo vratopetā havis te yadi bhuñjate | annaṃ brāhma-kāmāya katham etat pitāmaha ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira thưa: “Thưa ông nội, nếu những người ‘nhị sinh’ đang giữ giới nguyện mà dùng phần thực phẩm tế tự (havis) chỉ để làm vừa lòng lời thỉnh cầu của một Bà-la-môn, thì phải xét đoán thế nào? Trong trường hợp ấy, con đường đúng là giữ giới nguyện không hề suy suyển, hay vì kính trọng và bổn phận mà thuận theo ý muốn của vị Bà-la-môn?”

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिरः: Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• द्विजातयः: twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• द्विजातयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विजाति
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• व्रत-उपेताः: endowed with/observing a vow
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्रतोपेत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• हविः: oblation; sacrificial food
• हविः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: हविस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ते: they
• ते: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• यदि: if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यदि

• भुञ्जते: eat; partake
• Type: Verb
• Root: भुज्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Plural, Atmanepada

• अन्नम्: food
• अन्नम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्न
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ब्राह्मण-कामाय: for the sake of a Brahmin's desire (to please a Brahmin)
• ब्राह्मण-कामाय: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मणकाम
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Singular

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• पितामह: O grandsire
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Pitāmaha (Bhīṣma)
• Dvijāti (twice-born)
• Brāhmaṇa
• Havis (sacrificial oblation/food)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a classic dharma-dilemma: when two duties appear to conflict—fidelity to one’s vow (vrata) versus honoring a Brahmin’s request and the social-ritual obligations tied to it—one must discern which action best upholds dharma in context, intention, and consequence.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Yudhiṣṭhira asks Bhīṣma to clarify whether vow-observing twice-born men may eat sacrificial/ritual food to satisfy a Brahmin’s wish, and how such an act should be evaluated ethically.