Shloka 18

शल्मलि–पवनसंवादः

The Dialogue of Śalmali and Pavana

Devanagari script

युधिष्ठिर महानेष धर्मो धर्मभूतां वर । गोघ्नेष्वपि भवेदस्मिन्निष्कृति: पापकर्मण:

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira mahān eṣa dharmo dharmabhūtāṃ vara | goghneṣv api bhaved asmin niṣkṛtiḥ pāpakarmaṇaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : « Ô Yudhiṣṭhira, le meilleur des justes, voici véritablement un grand dharma : protéger celui qui a cherché refuge. Lorsqu’on le met en pratique, cela devient une expiation même pour ceux que souillent de lourds péchés—oui, même pour un tueur de vaches. »

Word by Word

• युधिष्ठिर: O Yudhiṣṭhira
• युधिष्ठिर: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: युधिष्ठिर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• महान्: great
• महान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एषः: this
• एषः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मः: dharma; righteous duty
• धर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• धर्मभूतानाम्: of those who are righteous (dharma-natured)
• धर्मभूतानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मभूत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• वर: O best (one)
• वर: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• गोघ्नेषु: even among cow-slayers
• गोघ्नेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गोघ्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Plural

• अपि: even; also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• भवेत्: may be; would occur
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular

• अस्मिन्: in this (matter/act)
• अस्मिन्: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• निष्कृतिः: expiation; atonement
• निष्कृतिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: निष्कृति (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• पापकर्मणः: of a sinful-doer; of one whose deeds are sinful
• पापकर्मणः: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापकर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Yudhiṣṭhira

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Protecting a person who has sought refuge is presented as a supreme moral duty. The text emphasizes its transformative ethical power: such protection functions as a means of expiation, capable of cleansing even very grave wrongdoing.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma continues advising King Yudhiṣṭhira. Here he highlights the duty of safeguarding the surrendered/refuge-seeker and underscores its merit by stating that it can atone for even severe sins like cow-killing.