Shloka 19

शल्मलि–पवनसंवादः

The Dialogue of Śalmali and Pavana

Devanagari script

न निष्कृतिर्भवेत्‌ तस्य यो हन्याच्छरणागतम्‌ । इतिहासमिमं श्रुत्वा पुण्यं पापप्रणाशनम्‌ । न दुर्गतिमवाप्रोति स्वर्गलोक॑ च गच्छति

Transliteration

na niṣkṛtir bhavet tasya yo hanyāc charaṇāgatam | itihāsam imaṁ śrutvā puṇyaṁ pāpa-praṇāśanam | na durgatim avāpnoti svargalokaṁ ca gacchati ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : « Il n’est point d’expiation pour celui qui tue un homme venu chercher refuge. Mais quiconque écoute ce récit sacré, plein de mérite et destructeur du péché, ne tombe pas dans un état de détresse ; au contraire, il atteint le monde céleste. »

Word by Word

• {'niṣkṛtiḥ': 'expiation, atonement, means of release from sin', 'bhavet': 'would be, could be (optative sense)', 'tasya': 'for him, of that person', 'yaḥ': 'who', 'hanyāt': 'would kill, should kill (optative

• here condemning the act)', 'śaraṇāgatam': 'one who has come for refuge

• a suppliant seeking protection', 'itihāsam': 'traditional narrative

• sacred historical account', 'imam': 'this', 'śrutvā': 'having heard

• by hearing', 'puṇyam': 'meritorious, holy, virtue-producing', 'pāpa-praṇāśanam': 'destroyer of sin', 'durgatim': 'bad destiny, downfall, miserable state after death', 'avāpnoti': 'attains, reaches', 'svargalokam': 'the world of heaven', 'gacchati': 'goes'}

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• svargaloka (heaven)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Protecting one who seeks refuge is a binding dharma; killing a śaraṇāgata is portrayed as a grave transgression beyond ordinary expiation. Conversely, attentive hearing of a righteous, sin-destroying narrative is presented as a powerful means of moral purification leading to auspicious posthumous destiny.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma, instructing on dharma in the Śānti Parva, states a strict ethical rule regarding the inviolability of a suppliant who has surrendered for protection, and then praises the spiritual benefit of hearing the preceding exemplary account (itihāsa), promising freedom from durgati and attainment of heaven.