Shloka 11

Devanagari script

सर्वशिक्षा श्रुतिधना निपुणा मोक्षदर्शिन: । गतिज्ञा: सर्वभूतानामध्यात्मगतिचिन्तका:

Transliteration

sarvaśikṣā śrutidhanā nipuṇā mokṣadarśinaḥ | gatijñāḥ sarvabhūtānām adhyātmagaticintakāḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: „Brahmanen sind jene, die alle in rechter Lebensführung und im Lernen unterweisen. Der Veda ist ihr wahrer Reichtum. Kundig in den Disziplinen heiligen Wissens, halten sie die Befreiung im Blick; sie verstehen die Geschicke aller Wesen und sinnen unablässig über den inneren Pfad des Selbst nach.“

Word by Word

• सर्वशिक्षाः: those who teach/instruct everyone (universal instructors)
• सर्वशिक्षाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्वशिक्षा
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• श्रुतिधनाः: whose wealth is the Veda/scripture
• श्रुतिधनाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: श्रुतिधन
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• निपुणाः: skilled, proficient
• निपुणाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निपुण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• मोक्षदर्शिनः: seeing/realizing liberation
• मोक्षदर्शिनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोक्षदर्शिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• गतिज्ञाः: knowers of the courses/destinies
• गतिज्ञाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गतिज्ञ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• सर्वभूतानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वभूत
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• अध्यात्मगतिचिन्तकाः: contemplators of the inner-self/spiritual course (adhyātma-gati)
• अध्यात्मगतिचिन्तकाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अध्यात्मगतिचिन्तक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Brahmanas
• Śruti (Veda)
• mokṣa
• sarva-bhūta (all beings)
• adhyātma (the Self/spiritual principle)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse defines the ideal Brahmana by inner and outer qualifications: their true wealth is Vedic revelation (Śruti), they are competent in śāstra, they guide society through teaching, and their knowledge is ultimately oriented toward mokṣa and adhyātma—understanding the spiritual destiny (gati) of beings and reflecting on the Self’s path.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhishma continues instructing Yudhishthira on dharma. Here he characterizes Brahmanas—highlighting their social role as teachers and their spiritual role as contemplatives who keep liberation as the highest aim.