Anushasana Parva Adhyaya 60 Shloka 41 - Mahabharata | German | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 41

Adhyāya 60: Dāna vs. Yajña—Royal Giving, Protection, and Karmic Share

Devanagari script

पितामहस्यानवरो वीरशायी भवेन्नर: । नाधथिकं विद्यते यस्मादित्याहु: परमर्षय:

Transliteration

pitāmahasyānavaro vīraśāyī bhavennaraḥ | nādhikaṁ vidyate yasmād ityāhuḥ paramarṣayaḥ ||

Translation

Vaiśampāyana sprach: „Ein Mann, der auf dem Lager des Helden liegt (das heißt: im Kampf fällt), wird nicht geringer als der Großvater, Brahmā. Denn nichts gilt als höher als er—so verkünden es die erhabensten Seher.“

Word by Word

पितामहस्यof Brahmā (the grandsire)

अनवरःequal to; not inferior

वीरशायीone who lies on a hero’s bed (dies on the battlefield)

भवेत्would become / should be

नरःa man

नnot

अधिकम्greater; superior (thing)

विद्यतेexists; is found

यस्मात्because of which; from whom/which

इतिthus (quotative)

आहुःthey said / they declare

परमर्षयःthe supreme sages

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Pitāmaha (Brahmā)

Paramarṣis (great sages)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that dying a heroic death in battle (vīraśayyā) is regarded as an exceptionally meritorious fulfillment of kṣatriya-duty, so exalted that it is compared to attaining the status of Brahmā, the highest cosmic progenitor.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana reports a traditional valuation voiced by great sages: the warrior who falls on the battlefield is praised as reaching the highest honor, reinforcing the Anuśāsana Parva’s broader instruction on dharma, duties, and the fruits of righteous conduct.