Shloka 2

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच स्ववृत्तिमभिपन्नाय लिज़्िने चेतराय च । देयमाहुर्महाराज उभावेतौ तपस्विनौ,भीष्मजीने कहा--महाराज! जीवन-रक्षाके लिये अपनी वर्णाश्रमोचित वृत्तिका आश्रय लेनेवाले चिह्नधारी या चिह्लरहित किसी भी ब्राह्मणको दान दिया जाना उचित बताया गया है; क्योंकि स्वधर्मका आश्रय लेनेवाले ये दोनों ही तपस्वी एवं दानपात्र हैं

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | svavṛttim abhipannāya liṅgine cetarāya ca | deyam āhur mahārāja ubhāv etau tapasvinau ||

Translation

Bhishma said: O great king, it is declared that alms should be given both to a Brahmin who has taken up his own rightful means of livelihood for the sake of preserving life—whether he bears the outward marks of an ascetic or does not. For both, resting upon their proper duty, are to be regarded as austere and worthy recipients of charity.

Word by Word

भीष्मःBhishma

उवाचsaid

स्ववृत्तिम्one's own (prescribed) livelihood/means of subsistence

अभिपन्नायto one who has resorted to/undertaken

लिङ्गिनेto one bearing a mark/sign (ascetic insignia)

चand

इतरायto the other (one)

चalso/and

देयम्is to be given / should be given

आहुःthey say

महाराजO great king

उभौboth

एतौthese two

तपस्विनौascetics / men of austerity

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Mahārāja (the king, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira)

Brāhmaṇa

liṅgin (marked ascetic)

aliṅgin/itarā (unmarked ascetic/householder in dharmic livelihood)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Charity should be guided by dharma rather than mere outward appearance: a Brahmin who sustains himself through a rightful, dharmic livelihood for preserving life is a fit recipient of alms whether he displays ascetic insignia (liṅga) or not.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dāna-dharma, Bhishma advises the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) about who deserves gifts, affirming that both marked ascetics and those without external marks—if grounded in proper duty—are worthy recipients.