Shloka 153

Adhyāya 174: Karma as an inescapable companion (कर्मानुगमन-उपदेश)

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मा चैनं महात्मानमातिथ्येनाभ्यपूजयत्‌ । तदनन्तर बकराज यथोचित रीतिसे ब्रह्माजीकी सभामें गया और ब्रह्माजीने उस महात्माका आतिथ्य-सत्कार किया

Transliteration

brahmā cainaṁ mahātmānam ātithyenābhyapūjayat |

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: Brahmā đã tôn vinh bậc đại tâm ấy như một vị khách, tiếp đãi theo đúng lễ nghi hiếu khách và ban cho sự kính trọng xứng đáng. Sau đó, vua Baka theo phép tắc mà vào hội đường của Brahmā, và chính Brahmā đã làm lễ tiếp khách, trọng đãi bậc hiền ấy—cho thấy rằng ngay cả đấng tối thượng cũng giữ gìn dharma của việc nghênh tiếp và tôn kính người đáng kính.

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मा: Brahmā
• ब्रह्मा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• एनम्: him
• एनम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (एतद्)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• महात्मानम्: the great-souled one
• महात्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: महात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• आतिथ्येन: with hospitality
• आतिथ्येन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आतिथ्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अभ्यपूजयत्: honoured / worshipped
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज्
• Form: Imperfect (Laṅ), Third, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Brahmā
• mahātmā (unnamed great-souled guest)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights ātithi-dharma: honoring a worthy guest is a fundamental ethical duty, upheld even by Brahmā himself, implying that social and spiritual order rests on reverence, humility, and proper reception of the virtuous.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma narrates that a great-souled figure arrives before Brahmā, and Brahmā receives him according to proper custom, offering hospitality and honor in his assembly.