Ashvamedhika Parva Adhyaya 43 Shloka 21 - Mahabharata | Bengali | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 21

Brahmopadeśa: Adhipatitva-kathana, Dharma-lakṣaṇa, and Kṣetra–Kṣetrajña Viveka

Book 14, Chapter 43

Devanagari script

अहिंसा परमो धर्मो हिंसा चाधर्मलक्षणा । प्रकाशलक्षणा देवा मनुष्या: कर्मलक्षणा:

Transliteration

ahiṃsā paramo dharmo hiṃsā cādharmalakṣaṇā | prakāśalakṣaṇā devā manuṣyāḥ karmalakṣaṇāḥ ||

Translation

বায়ু বললেন—এখন আমি সকল সত্তার স্থির কর্তব্যের লক্ষণ বলছি। অহিংসাই পরম ধর্ম, হিংসাই অধর্মের লক্ষণ। দেবতারা তেজে চিহ্নিত, আর মানুষ কর্মে—বিশেষত যজ্ঞাদি বিধিকর্মে।

Word by Word

अहिंसाnon-violence

परमःsupreme

धर्मःdharma, duty, righteousness

हिंसाviolence

चand

अधर्मलक्षणाhaving adharma as its mark; characteristic of unrighteousness

प्रकाशलक्षणाःhaving light as their mark; characterized by radiance

देवाःgods

मनुष्याःhumans

कर्मलक्षणाःhaving action/ritual as their mark; characterized by deeds

Speaker

वायुदेव उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vāyu (Vāyudeva)

devāḥ (the gods)

manuṣyāḥ (human beings)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse elevates ahiṃsā (non-violence) as the supreme form of dharma and identifies hiṃsā (violence) as a defining mark of adharma, while also distinguishing the natures of gods (radiance) and humans (duty-bound action/karma).

What is happening in the narrative?

Vāyudeva is speaking and begins a didactic explanation of the characteristic signs of established duties (niyata-dharma) for different classes of beings, framing an ethical hierarchy with non-violence at the top.