Shloka 21

अहिंसयित्वा ब्रह्महत्याविधानम् / Brahmahatyā incurred without physical violence

Devanagari script

तेभ्यो हिरण्यं रत्नं वा गामश्चं वा ददाति यः । दश वर्षाणि विष्ठां स भुड्क्ते निरयमास्थित:,ऐसे लोगोंको जो सुवर्ण, रत्न, गौ अथवा अश्व आदि वस्तुओंका दान करता है वह नरकमें पड़कर दस वर्षोंतक विष्ठा खाता है

Transliteration

tebhyo hiraṇyaṃ ratnaṃ vā gāṃś ca vā dadāti yaḥ | daśa varṣāṇi viṣṭhāṃ sa bhuṅkte nirayam āsthitaḥ ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “Whoever gives to such people gold, jewels, cows, horses, or similar valuables—he falls into hell and, for ten years, is made to subsist on filth. The teaching warns that charity is not merely the act of giving, but must be guided by discernment about the recipient’s conduct and worthiness, lest generosity become complicity in wrongdoing.”

Word by Word

तेभ्यःto them

हिरण्यम्gold

रत्नम्a jewel

वाor

गाम्a cow

अश्वम्a horse

वाor

ददातिgives

यःwho

दशten

वर्षाणिyears (for a duration)

विष्ठाम्excrement

सःhe

भुङ्क्तेeats/consumes

निरयम्hell

आस्थितःhaving entered/being in (hell)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

gold (hiraṇya)

jewels (ratna)

cow (go)

horse (aśva)

hell (niraya)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes