Shloka 3

Adhyāya 214: Tapas Redefined—Perpetual Discipline, Hospitality, and the Ethics of Eating (तपः-निरूपणम्, विघसाशी-अतिथिप्रिय-धर्मः)

Devanagari script

सर्वभूतात्म भूतास्ते सर्वज्ञा: सर्वदर्शिन: । ब्राह्मणा वेदशास्त्रज्ञास्तत्त्वार्थगतनिश्चया:,वेद-शास्त्रोंके यथार्थ ज्ञाता ब्राह्मण समस्त भूतोंके आत्मा, सर्वज्ञ और सर्वदर्शी होते हैं। उन्हें परमार्थतत्त्वका पूर्ण निश्चय होता है

Transliteration

sarvabhūtātma-bhūtās te sarvajñāḥ sarvadarśinaḥ | brāhmaṇā vedaśāstrajñās tattvārtha-gata-niścayāḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Ces brāhmanes, instruits des Veda et des śāstra, deviennent comme le Soi même de tous les êtres : omniscients et doués d’une vision totale. Leur conviction repose fermement sur le sens véritable du réel, car ils ont atteint la certitude quant à la vérité suprême.»

Word by Word

सर्वभूतात्मthe self of all beings

भूताःbeing (thus), become

तेthey

सर्वज्ञाःall-knowing

सर्वदर्शिनःall-seeing

ब्राह्मणाःBrahmanas

वेदशास्त्रज्ञाःknowers of Veda and śāstra

तत्त्वार्थगतनिश्चयाःthose whose conviction is fixed on the true purport/reality

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Brāhmaṇas

Vedas

Śāstras

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?

True Brāhmaṇas are defined not merely by birth but by realized knowledge: mastery of Veda and śāstra culminates in insight into tattva (ultimate reality), producing steady conviction and a universal, compassionate vision that sees the Self in all beings.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma after the war, Bhīṣma addresses Yudhiṣṭhira and describes the marks of genuine Brāhmaṇas—those grounded in scriptural wisdom and firm realization of the highest truth.