Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 159

Pitṛ-śrāddha-haviḥ-phala-nirdeśa

Offerings for Ancestors and Their Stated Results

Devanagari script

१५८ ।। नच क्षरति तेभ्यश्व यशश्रैवाप्तुते महत्‌ । सुवर्णमक्षयं दत्त्वा लोकांश्षाप्रोति पुष्कलान्‌

Transliteration

na ca kṣarati tebhyaś ca yaśaś caivāpnute mahat | suvarṇam akṣayaṁ dattvā lokān prāpnoti puṣkalān ||

Translation

瓦西什塔说道：施舍不坏之金者，不会从那些功德之界堕落。在此世间，他得大名声；身后则得至众多丰饶兴盛的天界。

Word by Word

• na: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: na

• ca: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ca

• kṣarati: falls/declines (from), perishes
• Type: Verb
• Root: kṣar (क्षर्)
• Form: Lat, Present, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• tebhyaḥ: from those (worlds/realms)
• tebhyaḥ: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tad
• Form: All (pronoun), Ablative, Plural

• eva: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva

• yaśaḥ: fame
• yaśaḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: yaśas
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• eva: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: eva

• āptum: to obtain
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (आप्)
• Form: Tumun (infinitive)

• te: of him/for him
• te: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: tad
• Form: All (pronoun), Genitive, Singular

• mahat: great
• mahat: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: mahat
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• suvarṇam: gold
• suvarṇam: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: suvarṇa
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• akṣayam: imperishable/inexhaustible
• akṣayam: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: a-kṣaya
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• dattvā: having given
• Type: Verb
• Root: dā (दा)
• Form: Ktva (absolutive/gerund)

• lokān: worlds/realms
• lokān: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: loka
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• āpnōti: obtains
• Type: Verb
• Root: āp (आप्)
• Form: Lat, Present, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

• puṣkalān: abundant/plentiful
• puṣkalān: Visheshana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: puṣkala
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

Speaker

वसिष्ठ उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vasiṣṭha
• suvarṇa (gold)
• puṇya-lokas (meritorious/heavenly realms)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

That giving ‘akṣaya’ (enduring, inexhaustible) wealth—symbolized by gold—brings two results: great renown in this life and secure attainment of abundant meritorious realms after death, without spiritual decline.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vasiṣṭha is instructing on dāna-dharma (the duty and power of charitable giving), describing the rewards of donating imperishable gold: lasting fame on earth and prosperous heavenly worlds in the hereafter.