Shloka 33

Devanagari script

अभयं सर्वभूते भ्य: सर्वेषाम भयं यत: । सर्वभूतात्मभूतो यस्तं देवा ब्राह्म॒णं विदु:,जो सम्पूर्ण भूतोंसे निर्भय है, जिससे समस्त प्राणी भय नहीं मानते हैं तथा जो सब भूतोंका आत्मा है, उसीको देवता ब्रह्मज्ञानी मानते हैं

Transliteration

abhayaṁ sarvabhūtebhyaḥ sarveṣām abhayaṁ yataḥ | sarvabhūtātmabhūto yas taṁ devā brāhmaṇaṁ viduḥ ||

Translation

He who is fearless toward all beings, from whom all beings feel no fear, and who has become the very Self of all creatures—him the gods recognize as a true brāhmaṇa, a knower of Brahman.

Word by Word

अभयम्fearlessness; one who is fearless

सर्वभूतेभ्यःfrom all beings

सर्वेषाम्of all (beings)

अभयम्fearlessness; absence of fear

यतःfrom whom; because of whom

सर्वभूतात्मभूतःwho has become the Self of all beings

यःwho

तम्him

देवाःthe gods; the wise

ब्राह्मणम्a brahmin; knower of Brahman

विदुःknow; recognize

Speaker

कपिल उवाच

Characters & Entities

Kapila

Devas

Brāhmaṇa (as the realized knower)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A true brāhmaṇa (brahmajñānī) is identified by ethical and spiritual qualities: he harms none, inspires fear in none, and realizes unity with all beings (sarvabhūtātmatā). Fearlessness and non-fear-giving are presented as outward signs of inner Self-knowledge.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kapila is instructing on the marks of genuine spiritual realization. In the Shanti Parva’s didactic setting, he defines who deserves the title “brāhmaṇa” not by lineage but by conduct and realization—universal harmlessness and identity with the Self of all beings.