Shloka 33

अहिंसयित्वा ब्रह्महत्याविधानम् / Brahmahatyā incurred without physical violence

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच अक्रोधना धर्मपरा: सत्यनित्या दमे रता: | तादृशा: साधवो वित्रास्तेभ्यो दत्त महाफलम्‌,भीष्मजीने कहा--राजन्‌! जो क्रोधरहित, धर्मपरायण, सत्यनिष्ठ और इन्द्रियसंयममें तत्पर हैं, ऐसे ब्राह्मणोंको श्रेष्ठ समझना चाहिये और उन्हींको दान देनेसे महान्‌ फलकी प्राप्ति होती है (अतः उन्हींको श्राद्धमें भोजन कराना चाहिये)

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca akrodhanā dharmaparāḥ satyanityā dame ratāḥ | tādṛśāḥ sādhavo viprās tebhyo dattaṃ mahāphalam ||

Translation

Bhishma said: Those brāhmaṇas who are free from anger, devoted to dharma, steadfast in truth, and intent on self-restraint—such men are the truly virtuous. Gifts given to them yield great fruit (and therefore they are the proper recipients to be fed in rites such as śrāddha).

Word by Word

भीष्मःBhishma

उवाचsaid

अक्रोधनाःfree from anger

धर्मपराःdevoted to dharma

सत्यनित्याःever truthful

दमेin self-control (sense-restraint)

रताःengaged/delighting

तादृशाःsuch (of that kind)

साधवःgood men/virtuous persons

वित्रास्तेभ्यःto the frightened/terrified (ones)

दत्तgiven (a gift/that which is given)

महाफलम्great fruit/result

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Brahmins (viprāḥ)

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 bears the greatest merit when directed to recipients of proven character—those who are angerless, dharma-centered, truthful, and disciplined. The verse links the fruit of giving to the ethical quality of the receiver.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction to the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) in Anuśāsana Parva, he specifies the marks of truly virtuous Brahmins and states that gifts—especially in contexts like śrāddha—should be offered to such persons for maximal spiritual benefit.