Shloka 38

आपद्धर्मे वैश्यवृत्तिः, विक्रय-निषेधाः, तथा ब्रह्म-क्षत्र-सम्बन्धः

Emergency Livelihood, Prohibited Trade, and Brahman–Kshatra Regulation

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच अपारे यो भवेत्‌ पारमप्लवे यः प्लवो भवेत्‌ | शूद्रो वा यदि वाप्यन्य: सर्वथा मानमर्हति,भीष्मजीने कहा--बेटा! जो अपार संकटसे पार लगा दे, नौकाके अभावमें डूबते हुएको जो नाव बनकर सहारा दे, वह शूद्र हो या कोई अन्य, सर्वथा सम्मानके योग्य है

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | apāre yo bhavet pāram aplave yaḥ plavo bhavet | śūdro vā yadi vāpy anyaḥ sarvathā mānam arhati |

Translation

Bhishma said: Whoever enables one to cross when no far shore is in sight, whoever becomes a boat for the drowning when no boat is at hand—whether he is a Shudra or anyone else—such a person is, in every way, worthy of honor.

Word by Word

भीष्मःBhishma

उवाचsaid

अपारेin the boundless (danger), in an impassable situation

यःwho

भवेत्may be / would be

पारम्the far shore, safety

अप्लवेwhen there is no boat/raft (in a boatless situation)

यःwho

प्लवःa boat/raft

भवेत्may be / would be

शूद्रःa Shudra

वाor

यदिif

वाor

अपिeven

अन्यःanother (person)

सर्वथाin every way, certainly

मानम्honour, respect

अर्हतिdeserves

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Shudra

boat/raft (plava)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Geographic Context

Sandhi Notes