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Shloka 3

अलोभोपाख्यानम् — शुनःसख-यातुधानी-संवादः

The Allegory of Non-Greed: Śunaḥsakha and the Yātudhānī

निवापैर्दीयमानैश्न चातुर्वण्येन भारत । तर्पिता: पितरो देवास्तत्रान्नं जरयन्ति वै

nivāpairdīyamānaiś ca cāturvarṇyena bhārata | tarpitāḥ pitaro devās tatrānnaṃ jarayanti vai ||

毗湿摩说道:“噢,婆罗多啊,当四姓之人依礼奉献丧祭之供(nivāpa)时,祖灵(Pitṛ)与诸天皆得满足;并且就在彼处,他们确实享用并‘消化’那食物。”

निवापैःby funeral offerings (rice-balls/oblations)
निवापैः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootनिवाप
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
दीयमानैःbeing given
दीयमानैः:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootदा
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
and/also (here: connective)
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
चातुर्वर्ण्येनby the fourfold order (of society)
चातुर्वर्ण्येन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootचातुर्वर्ण्य
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
भारतO Bharata
भारत:
TypeNoun
Rootभारत
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
तर्पिताःsatisfied/propitiated
तर्पिताः:
TypeAdjective
Rootतर्पित
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
पितरःthe ancestors (Pitṛs)
पितरः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपितृ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
देवाःthe gods
देवाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootदेव
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
तत्रthere
तत्र:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतत्र
अन्नम्food
अन्नम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootअन्न
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
जरयन्तिdigest/consume
जरयन्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootजॄ
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
वैindeed
वै:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootवै

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
B
Bhārata (Yudhiṣṭhira)
P
Pitṛs (ancestors)
D
Devas (gods)
N
Nivāpa (funeral offering)

Educational Q&A

The verse teaches that properly performed ancestral offerings (nivāpa/śrāddha), carried out in accordance with one’s dharma within the four varṇas, sustain a moral and ritual reciprocity: humans honor ancestors and gods through offerings, and those recipients are said to accept and assimilate the offered food.

Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira in Anuśāsana Parva on duties connected with rites and dharma. Here he explains the efficacy of nivāpa/śrāddha: when such offerings are given, the Pitṛs and the gods become satisfied and are described as consuming the offering.