Shloka 9

Devanagari script

न हि नो भ्रूणहा कश्चिज्जातापद्यनूृतोडपि वा | पूर्वाशी वा कुले हास्मिन्‌ देवतातिथिबन्धुषु,“हमारे इस कुलमें कोई भी ऐसा नहीं है, जिसने कभी भ्रूणहत्या की हो, जिसकी संतान पैदा होकर मर गयी हो, जिसने मिथ्या भाषण किया हो अथवा जो देवता, अतिथि एवं बन्धुओंकों अन्न देनेके पहले ही भोजन कर लेता हो”

Transliteration

na hi no bhrūṇahā kaścid jātāpatyanṛto 'pi vā | pūrvāśī vā kule 'smin devatātithibandhuṣu ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Dans notre lignée, nul n’a commis le meurtre d’un embryon; nul n’a eu d’enfant né pour mourir aussitôt; nul ne s’est adonné au mensonge; et nul ne mange avant d’avoir d’abord offert la nourriture aux dieux, aux hôtes et aux parents.»

Word by Word

नnot

हिindeed/for

नःof us/our

भ्रूणहाslayer of an embryo (one who commits भ्रूणहत्या)

कश्चित्anyone

जातापत्one whose child is born and then dies (child-loss)

अनृतोद्speaker of falsehood/liar

अपिalso/even

वाor

पूर्वाशीone who eats first (before others)

वाor

कुलेin the family/clan

हindeed (emphatic particle)

अस्मिन्in this

देवताamong/with respect to deities

अतिथिamong/with respect to guests

बन्धुषुamong/with respect to relatives

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

kula (the Kuru lineage implied)

devatā (gods)

atithi (guest)

bandhu (kinsmen/relatives)

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?

Bhīṣma highlights markers of righteous conduct in a noble lineage: avoiding grievous sins (like भ्रूणहत्या), maintaining truthfulness, and honoring social-religious obligations—especially feeding gods (through offerings), guests, and relatives before oneself.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti discourse, Bhīṣma is describing standards of conduct and inherited ethical discipline within the family line, using a list of prohibited behaviors to underscore the ideal of a dharmic household and community.