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Shloka 27

Śakra–Śambara Saṃvāda: Brāhmaṇa-sevā, Anasūyā, and Vāg-bala (शक्रशम्बरसंवादः)

दुर्ग्राह्मो मुष्टिना वायुर्दु:स्पर्श: पाणिना शशी । दुर्धरा पृथिवी राजन दुर्जया ब्राह्मणा भुवि,राजन! हवाको मुट्ठीमें पकड़ना, चन्द्रमाको हाथसे छूना और पृथ्वीको उठा लेना जैसे अत्यन्त कठिन काम है, उसी तरह इस पृथ्वीपर ब्राह्मणोंको जीतना दुष्कर है

durgrahmo muṣṭinā vāyur duḥsparśaḥ pāṇinā śaśī | durdharā pṛthivī rājan durjayā brāhmaṇā bhuvi ||

Bhīṣma sprach: „O König, wie es überaus schwer ist, den Wind mit der Faust zu packen, den Mond mit der Hand zu berühren oder die Erde emporzuheben, so schwer ist es auch, die Brāhmaṇas auf dieser Erde zu überwinden.“

दुर्ग्राह्मःhard to grasp
दुर्ग्राह्मः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootदुर्ग्राह्म (दुर्-ग्रह् + म)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
मुष्टिनाwith the fist
मुष्टिना:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootमुष्टि
FormFeminine, Instrumental, Singular
वायुःwind
वायुः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवायु
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
दुःस्पर्शःhard to touch
दुःस्पर्शः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootदुःस्पर्श (दुस् + स्पर्श)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
पाणिनाwith the hand
पाणिना:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootपाणि
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
शशीthe moon
शशी:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootशशिन्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
दुर्धराhard to lift/bear
दुर्धरा:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootदुर्धर (दुर् + धर)
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
पृथिवीthe earth
पृथिवी:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपृथिवी
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
राजन्O king
राजन्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootराजन्
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
दुर्जयाःhard to conquer
दुर्जयाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootदुर्जय (दुर् + जि)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
ब्राह्मणाःBrahmins
ब्राह्मणाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootब्राह्मण
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
भुविon earth
भुवि:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootभू (स्त्री. भुव्/भूमि-सम्बद्ध रूप)
FormFeminine, Locative, Singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhishma
K
King (rājan)
W
Wind (vāyu)
M
Moon (śaśī)
E
Earth (pṛthivī)
B
Brāhmaṇas

Educational Q&A

A ruler should not presume that spiritual authority and dharmic strength can be subdued like worldly opponents; brāhmaṇas, protected by learning, austerity, and dharma, are ‘hard to conquer’ and must be approached with respect and restraint.

Bhīṣma is instructing the king (Yudhiṣṭhira in the Anuśāsana Parva context) on proper conduct and governance, using vivid impossibilities—grasping wind, touching the moon, lifting the earth—to emphasize the futility and danger of trying to overpower brāhmaṇas.