Shloka 7

यज्ञेऽहिंसा-प्राधान्यम्

Primacy of Non-Harm in Sacrificial Ethics

Devanagari script

उपोष्य संशितो भूत्वा हित्वा वेदकृता: श्रुती: । आचार इत्यनाचार: कृपणा: फलहेतव:

Transliteration

upoṣya saṁśito bhūtvā hitvā vedakṛtāḥ śrutīḥ | ācāra ity anācāraḥ kṛpaṇāḥ phalahetavaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “Having undertaken fasting and become firmly disciplined, one should abandon the reward-promising passages of the Veda—that is, give up desire-driven rites. Do not engage in such acts by calling them ‘proper conduct’; what is done for gain is in truth misconduct. Only the petty-minded act with results as their motive.”

Word by Word

• उपोष्य: having fasted
• उपोष्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-वास् (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (क्त्वा-समकक्ष अव्ययकृदन्त), कर्तरि, पूर्वकालनिर्देश (absolutive)

• संशितः: disciplined; well-restrained
• संशितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सं-शा (धातु) / संशित (कृदन्त-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन, क्त (भूतकृदन्त)

• भूत्वा: having become
• भूत्वा: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा, कर्तरि, पूर्वकालनिर्देश (absolutive)

• हित्वा: having abandoned
• हित्वा: Adhikarana
• Type: Verb
• Root: हा (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा, कर्तरि, पूर्वकालनिर्देश (absolutive)

• वेदकृताः: made/laid down by the Veda
• वेदकृताः: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वेदकृत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• श्रुतीः: Vedic injunctions / scriptural statements
• श्रुतीः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्रुति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया, बहुवचन

• आचारः: conduct; practice
• आचारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• इति: thus; as (called)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• अनाचारः: misconduct; improper practice
• अनाचारः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनाचार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• कृपणाः: miserly/mean persons
• कृपणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कृपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

• फलहेतवः: those whose motive is (worldly) result
• फलहेतवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: फलहेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, बहुवचन

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Veda
• Śruti

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True dharma requires disciplined self-restraint and renunciation of desire for results; actions performed for ‘phala’ (reward) are spiritually inferior and should not be justified as proper conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on ethical and spiritual conduct, urging him toward austerity and non-attachment, and warning against ritual action motivated by promised rewards.