Shloka 19

पापात्म-धर्मात्म-लक्षणम् तथा निर्वेदेन मोक्षमार्गः | Marks of the Sinful and the Righteous; Dispassion (Nirveda) as a Path to Liberation

Devanagari script

तस्मात्‌ पितुर्वच: कार्य न विचार्य कदाचन । पातकान्यपि पूयन्ते पितु: शासनकारिण:

Transliteration

tasmāt pitur vacaḥ kāryaṃ na vicārya kadācana | pātakāny api pūyante pituḥ śāsanakāriṇaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: Therefore, a father’s command should be carried out and never subjected to hesitation or second-guessing. Even the sins of one who acts in accordance with the father’s injunction are cleansed—so powerful is obedience to paternal authority within dharma.

Word by Word

• तस्मात्: therefore/from that reason
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• पितुः: of the father
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• वचः: word/command
• वचः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वचस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• कार्यम्: to be done/ought to be done
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कार्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• विचार्य: having considered/after deliberating
• Type: Verb
• Root: वि-चर्
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), Active

• कदाचन: ever/at any time
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कदाचन

• पातकानि: sins
• पातकानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पातक
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• पूयन्ते: are purified/are cleansed
• Type: Verb
• Root: पू
• Form: Present, Atmanepada (Passive sense), Third, Plural

• पितुः: of the father
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• शासनकारिणः: of one who carries out (the father's) command
• Type: Noun
• Root: शासनकारिन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• father (pituḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that obedience to a father’s instruction is a strong component of dharma; such obedience is portrayed as so meritorious that it can even purify one’s sins.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s dharma instruction, Bhīṣma is advising on righteous conduct, emphasizing the ethical weight traditionally given to honoring and executing a father’s command.