Shloka 16
Brāhmaṇa-vandana: Criteria for Veneration, Disciplined Speech, and Protective Kingship (अनुशासनपर्व, अध्याय ८)
नहि मे वृजिनं किंचिद् विद्यते ब्राह्मणेष्विह । अणु वा यदि वा स्थूलं विद्यते साधुकर्मसु,मेरे द्वारा ब्राह्मणोंके प्रति किन्हीं श्रेष्ठ कर्मोमें कभी छोटा-मोटा किंचिन्मात्र भी अपराध नहीं हुआ है
nahi me vṛjinaṃ kiñcid vidyate brāhmaṇeṣv iha | aṇu vā yadi vā sthūlaṃ vidyate sādhukarmasu ||
Bhīṣma said: “In this world, I have no trace of wrongdoing toward the Brāhmaṇas. In matters of righteous and noble conduct, not even the slightest fault—whether minute or great—can be found in me with respect to them.”
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhīṣma emphasizes ethical vigilance in one’s dealings with Brāhmaṇas and, more broadly, in righteous conduct: even the smallest moral lapse (aṇu) matters, and integrity is measured by freedom from both minor and major faults.
In his discourse on dharma, Bhīṣma speaks in the first person, asserting his own blamelessness regarding any offense toward Brāhmaṇas, presenting this as a marker of disciplined, righteous life and a standard for ethical behavior.