Shloka 96
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
Devanagari script
पुराण: शाश्वतो धर्म: सर्वप्राणभूतां सम:
Transliteration
purāṇaḥ śāśvato dharmaḥ sarvaprāṇabhūtānāṃ samaḥ
Translation
Bhīṣma dit : «Telle est la loi ancienne et éternelle du dharma : elle est impartiale envers tous les êtres vivants.»
Word by Word
पुराणःancient
पुराणः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootपुराण
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
शाश्वतःeternal
शाश्वतः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootशाश्वत
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
धर्मःdharma; righteousness; law
धर्मः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootधर्म
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
सर्वप्राणभूतानाम्of all living beings
सर्वप्राणभूतानाम्:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootसर्वप्राणभूत
FormNeuter, Genitive, Plural
समःequal; impartial
समः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसम
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhīṣmaCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Dharma, in its oldest and most enduring form, is defined by impartiality and equal concern for all living beings—an ethical standard that supports compassion and non-harm.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising Yudhiṣṭhira on the foundations of righteous conduct, emphasizing a universal principle: dharma must be even-handed toward every creature.