Shloka 22

Devanagari script

अभयं सर्वभूतेभ्यो दत्त्वा य: प्रव्रजेद्‌ गृहात्‌ । लोकास्तेजोमयास्तस्य तथा55नन्त्याय कल्पते,जो पुरुष सबको अभय-दान देकर घरसे निकल जाता है, उसे तेजोमय लोकोंकी प्राप्ति होती है तथा वह अनन्त परमात्मपदको प्राप्त करनेमें समर्थ होता है

Transliteration

abhayaṁ sarvabhūtebhyo dattvā yaḥ pravrajed gṛhāt | lokās tejo-mayās tasya tathā anantyāya kalpate ||

Translation

Bhishma dijo: «Aquel que, habiendo otorgado a todos los seres la dádiva de la ausencia de temor, renuncia a la vida doméstica y parte como caminante errante—los mundos radiantes, colmados de luz, le corresponden; y queda apto para alcanzar el estado supremo e infinito».

Word by Word

अभयम्fearlessness, safety

सर्वभूतेभ्यःto all beings

दत्त्वाhaving given

यःwho

प्रव्रजेत्should go forth, renounce

गृहात्from (his) house/home

लोकाःworlds, realms

तेजोमयाःmade of splendor/light

तस्यof him, for him

तथाthus, and also

अनन्त्यायfor endlessness/immortality (final beatitude)

कल्पतेis fit/able; is destined; becomes

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Renunciation becomes spiritually fruitful when grounded in universal non-harm: one should first offer “abhaya” (freedom from fear) to all beings—i.e., live without causing terror or injury—then go forth from household life; such a person gains luminous realms and becomes fit for the endless, supreme goal.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma after the war. Here he praises the ethical foundation of pravrajyā (going forth/renunciation): the renouncer who ensures safety for all beings is said to attain exalted post-mortem realms and eligibility for the highest liberation.