Shloka 37

Varṇa-adhikāra, Karma, and the Protection of One’s Attained Spiritual Status (वर्णाधिकारः कर्म च स्वस्थानरक्षणम्)

Devanagari script

व्याधितं दुर्बलं बालं स्त्र्यनाथौ कृपणं ध्रुवम् । धनुर्भग्नं छिन्नगुणं हत्वा वै ब्रह्महा भवेत्

Transliteration

vyādhitaṃ durbalaṃ bālaṃ stryanāthau kṛpaṇaṃ dhruvam | dhanurbhagnaṃ chinnaguṇaṃ hatvā vai brahmahā bhavet

Translation

Celui qui tue un malade, un faible, un enfant ou un misérable—oui, un être sans protection (telle une femme sans soutien ou un orphelin)—ou encore celui dont l’arc est brisé et la corde tranchée, devient assurément brahma-han, « meurtrier d’un brāhmaṇa », et encourt la faute la plus lourde.

Word by Word

• व्याधितम्: sick, afflicted
• व्याधितम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (PPP) ‘व्याधित’ (afflicted/sick); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying implied victim)

• दुर्बलम्: weak
• दुर्बलम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• बालम्: a child
• बालम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स्त्री-अनाथौ: a woman without protector
• स्त्री-अनाथौ: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + अनाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘अनाथा स्त्री’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कृपणम्: wretched, pitiable
• कृपणम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• ध्रुवम्: certainly (as fixed), steadfast
• ध्रुवम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• धनुः-भग्नम्: with broken bow
• धनुः-भग्नम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + भग्न (भञ्ज्-धातु, क्त/PPP)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘धनुषः भग्नम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• छिन्न-गुणम्: with cut bowstring
• छिन्न-गुणम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिन्न (छिद्-धातु, क्त/PPP) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘गुणः छिन्नः’/‘गुणस्य छिन्नम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• हत्वा: having killed
• हत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/सम्भावनार्थक निपात (particle)

• ब्रह्महा: a Brahmin-slayer
• ब्रह्महा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + हन् (धातु)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (agent noun: ‘ब्रह्मणः हन्ता’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narratorial/śāstric voice (didactic statement within the Purāṇic discourse; specific speaker not identifiable from the single verse alone)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Ethical restraint (ahiṃsā toward the helpless) is framed as a prerequisite for purity; without it, even ritual merit is obstructed by mahāpātaka-like demerit.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇa (as the referent in the term brahmahā)

FAQs

Why does the verse equate killing the defenseless with becoming a ‘brahmahā’ (slayer of a brāhmaṇa)?

In Purāṇic and Dharmaśāstra moral reasoning, brahmahatyā functions as a paradigmatic ‘mahāpātaka’ (great sin). By invoking brahmahā here, the text stresses the extreme spiritual gravity of harming those who are vulnerable or incapable of defense, framing such violence as a profound violation of dharma and compassion rather than merely a social offense.