Shloka 18

Nakṣatra-yoga-anusāreṇa Dāna-vidhiḥ

Gifts prescribed according to lunar mansions and yogas

Devanagari script

अहिंसा सर्वभूते भ्य: संविभागश्चन भागश:

Transliteration

ahiṃsā sarvabhūtebhyaḥ saṃvibhāgaś ca na bhāgaśaḥ

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «La non-violence envers tous les êtres, et la pratique du partage—donner comme en commun, non dans un esprit de division ni d’attribution égoïste—doivent être maintenues comme conduite conforme au dharma.»

Word by Word

• अहिंसा: non-violence
• अहिंसा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहिंसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वभूतेभ्यः: to all beings
• सर्वभूतेभ्यः: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वभूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Dative, Plural

• संविभागः: sharing; distribution
• संविभागः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संविभाग (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

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

• भागशः: in shares; proportionately
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: भागशस् (अव्यय)

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma emphasizes two pillars of dharma: ahiṃsā (not harming any being) and saṃvibhāga (sharing one’s resources), ideally done without a divisive, self-centered sense of “my share versus yours.”

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on righteous conduct. Here he states a concise ethical maxim highlighting non-violence and generous sharing as key duties.