Shloka 31

अन्नदान-प्रशंसा (Praise of the Gift of Food) | Annadāna-Praśaṃsā

Devanagari script

अवेदानामयज्ञानामलोकानामवर्तिनाम्‌ | कस्तेषां जीवितेनार्थस्त्वां विना ब्राह्मणाश्रयम्‌

Transliteration

avedānāmayajñānāmalokānām avartinām | kas teṣāṁ jīvitena arthaḥ tvāṁ vinā brāhmaṇāśrayam ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“对于那些无吠陀、无祭祀、又不安住于正当法度的人，他们的生命本身有何用处——尤其当他们失去你这位婆罗门的依止与支撑之时？”

Word by Word

• अवेदानाम्: of those without the Veda / non-Vedic
• अवेदानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवेद (a-veda)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अमयज्ञानाम्: of those who do not perform sacrifices
• अमयज्ञानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अमयज्ञ (a-mayajña)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अलोकानाम्: of those without (proper) worlds / without spiritual realms
• अलोकानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अलोक (a-loka)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अवर्तिनाम्: of those who do not abide (in dharma) / non-abiding
• अवर्तिनाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अवर्तिन् (a-vartin)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• कः: who? / what?
• कः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तेषाम्: of them
• तेषाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• जीवितेन: by/with life; by living
• जीवितेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: जीवित (from √जीव्)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• अर्थः: purpose, use, meaning
• अर्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• त्वाम्: you
• त्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Accusative, Singular

• विना: without
• विना: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विना

• ब्राह्मणाश्रयम्: having Brahmins as refuge / the refuge of Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाश्रयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण-आश्रय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• भीष्म (Bhīṣma)
• ब्राह्मण (brāhmaṇas)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Life gains moral purpose through adherence to Vedic learning, sacrificial duty, and right conduct; without these—and without a righteous protector who serves as a refuge for brāhmaṇas—mere living is portrayed as empty of higher value.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, in his instruction on dharma, addresses a respected figure (implicitly a protector of brāhmaṇas) and underscores that those who abandon Veda, yajña, and proper conduct have little meaningful aim in life, especially if they are deprived of such righteous support.