Mahabharata · 1.118.21–22
॥
Devanāgarī
याजकैर् अभ्यनुज्ञातं प्रेतकर्मणि निष्ठितैः ॥
घृतावसिक्तं राजानं सह माद्र्या स्वलंकृतम् ॥
तुङ्गपद्मकमिश्रेण चन्दनेन सुगन्धिना ॥
अन्यैश् च विविधैर् गन्धैर् अनल्पैः समदाहयन् ॥
Transliteration (IAST)
yājakair abhyanujñātaṃ pretakarmaṇi niṣṭhitaiḥ ||
ghṛtāvasiktaṃ rājānaṃ saha mādryā svalaṃkṛtam ||
tuṅgapadmakamiśreṇa candanena sugandhinā ||
anyaiś ca vividhair gandhair analpaiḥ samadāhayan ||
Word-by-word
SanskritIASTMeaning
याजकैः अभ्यनुज्ञातं प्रेतकर्मणि निष्ठितैःyājakaiḥ abhyanujñātaṃ pretakarmaṇi niṣṭhitaiḥwith the leave of the priests, versed in the funeral rite,
घृतावसिक्तं राजानं सह माद्र्या स्वलंकृतम्ghṛtāvasiktaṃ rājānaṃ saha mādryā svalaṃkṛtamthe king, sprinkled with ghee, together with Madri, well adorned,
तुङ्गपद्मकमिश्रेण चन्दनेन सुगन्धिनाtuṅgapadmakamiśreṇa candanena sugandhināwith fragrant sandalwood, mixed with tunga and padmaka,
अन्यैः च विविधैः गन्धैः अनल्पैः समदाहयन्anyaiḥ ca vividhaiḥ gandhaiḥ analpaiḥ samadāhayanand with other various abundant fragrances, [having anointed], they cremated
याजकैर्yājakairoriginal form "yājakair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अन्यैश्anyaiśoriginal form "anyaiś", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विविधैर्vividhairoriginal form "vividhair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
गन्धैर्gandhairoriginal form "gandhair", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Translation
"With the leave of the priests, versed in the funeral rite, the king, sprinkled with ghee, together with Madri, well adorned, having been anointed with fragrant sandalwood mixed with tunga and padmaka, and with other abundant fragrances, was committed to the fire."
Version
7e6ffe53d50a · published Jul 12, 2026, 4:41:49 PM UTC
Available inRUENPage between verses with
Here the cremation is performed — the committing of the bodies to the purifying fire. Telling is that the rite is carried out "with the leave of the priests, versed in the funeral rite": even a funeral is performed strictly according to dharma, under the guidance of the learned, not at anyone's whim. Here is the sanctity of fire (Agni) as intermediary: the body returns to the elements, and the offering of ghee and fragrances is the last sacrifice that sends the soul on its way. Telling is that Pandu and Madri are burned together: the faithful wife who followed her husband is inseparable from him even in the funeral fire. Thus scripture shows the completion of the couple's earthly path — united in death, they ascend together to the world of the ancestors.