Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 31

Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda

Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity

Devanagari script

अत्र यस्त्वन्तिम: पिण्डो गच्छते जातवेदसम्‌

Transliteration

atra yas tv antimaḥ piṇḍo gacchate jātavedasam

Translation

在此，最后的祭团（piṇḍa）被送往阇多吠陀——阿耆尼（Agni），承载供献之火——象征终末仪轨的圆满：亡者由此托付于神圣秩序之中，而生者亦尽其对死者之法（dharma）。

Word by Word

• अत्र: here
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र

• यः: which/that (who)
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• अन्तिमः: last/final
• अन्तिमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्तिम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पिण्डः: rice-ball (funeral offering)
• पिण्डः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिण्ड
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गच्छते: goes/attains
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• जातवेदसम्: Jātavedas (Agni, the fire-god)
• जातवेदसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: जातवेदस्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

देवदूत उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Jātavedas (Agni)
• piṇḍa (funeral offering)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse underscores pitṛ-dharma: completing the final offering and entrusting it to Agni symbolizes the ethical duty of the living to perform proper last rites, ensuring ritual completeness and honoring the departed within the cosmic order.

What is happening in the narrative?

A divine messenger (devadūta) describes a specific point in the funerary/śrāddha sequence: the ‘last piṇḍa’ is said to reach Jātavedas (Agni), marking the culmination of the offering as it is transferred through fire to the intended sacred recipients.