Shloka 18

Ajagara-vrata (The ‘Python’ Discipline): Prahrāda Questions a Wandering Sage

Devanagari script

विशेषतस्तु कार्तिक्यां द्विजेभ्य: सम्प्रयच्छति । शरद्‌ व्यपाये रत्नानि पौर्णमास्यामिति श्रुति:

Transliteration

viśeṣatas tu kārtikyāṁ dvijebhyaḥ samprayacchati | śarad-vyapāye ratnāni paurṇamāsyām iti śrutiḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：尤有传闻称，在迦尔提迦（Kārtika）月圆之日——当秋季将尽之时——他会将珠宝作为赠礼施予二次生者（婆罗门）。此乃圣传所闻之旧例。

Word by Word

• विशेषतः: especially, in particular
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: विशेष

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

• कार्तिक्याम्: in (the month/night of) Kārtikī (Kārtika full-moon time)
• कार्तिक्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्तिकी
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• द्विजेभ्यः: to the twice-born (Brahmins)
• द्विजेभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज
• Form: Masculine, Dative, Plural

• सम्प्रयच्छति: gives, bestows
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-यम्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• शरद्: of autumn
• Type: Noun
• Root: शरद्
• Form: Feminine, Genitive, Singular

• व्यपाये: at the passing/end
• व्यपाये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: व्यपाय
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• रत्नानि: gems, jewels
• रत्नानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: रत्न
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• पौर्णमास्याम्: on the full-moon day/night
• पौर्णमास्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर्णमासी
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• इति: thus, as follows
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• श्रुतिः: tradition/hearsay; it is heard
• श्रुतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Brahmins (dvija)
• Kartik Purnima (paurṇamāsī in Kārtika)
• Jewels (ratna)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the dharmic ideal of timely, purposeful charity: giving valuable gifts—here, jewels—to worthy recipients (Brahmins) on an auspicious calendrical occasion (Kārtika full moon), emphasizing that dāna gains special merit when aligned with sacred time and right recipients.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma, instructing on dharma in the Śānti Parva, cites a received tradition (śruti) that a virtuous giver would particularly donate jewels to Brahmins on the Kārtika full-moon day, associated with the close of the autumn season.