Shloka 50

Devanagari script

स्तुत्यर्थमिह देवानां वेदा: सृष्टा: स्वयम्भुवा । यो निर्वदेत सम्मोहाद्‌ ब्राह्मणं वेदपारगम्‌

Transliteration

stutyartham iha devānāṃ vedāḥ sṛṣṭāḥ svayambhuvā | yo nirvadet sammohād brāhmaṇaṃ vedapāragam |

Translation

Bhishma said: Here, the Vedas were created by the Self-born (Brahmā) for the purpose of praising the gods. Therefore, whoever, out of delusion, reviles a Brahmin who has crossed to the far shore of the Vedas (that is, is fully learned in them), acts against the very foundation of sacred order and right conduct.

Word by Word

स्तुत्यर्थम्for the purpose of praise

इहhere (in this world/context)

देवानाम्of the gods

वेदाःthe Vedas

सृष्टाःcreated

स्वयम्भुवाby the Self-born (Brahmā)

यःwho

निर्वदेत्should revile/speak ill of

सम्मोहात्from delusion

ब्राह्मणम्a Brahmin

वेदपारगम्one who has mastered the Veda

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Svayambhū (Brahmā)

Devāḥ (the gods)

Veda (the Vedas)

Brāhmaṇa (a Brahmin)

Vedapāraga (Vedic master)

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?

The verse teaches that the Vedas are divinely instituted for sacred praise and order; therefore, reviling a truly learned Vedic Brahmin—especially out of delusion—is a serious ethical and dharmic fault, undermining reverence for sacred knowledge and disciplined speech.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs on dharma and right conduct. Here he emphasizes the divine origin and purpose of the Vedas and warns against disparaging a Veda-master (vedapāraga), framing such speech as born of confusion and contrary to dharma.