Shloka 4
Dvaipāyana–Kīṭa Saṃvāda: Karmic Memory, Fear of Death, and Embodied Pleasure
Devanagari script
भीष्म उवाच चतुर्विधियं निर्दिष्टा हाहिंसा ब्रह्मवादिभि: । एकैकतो<पि विश्रष्टा न भवत्यरिसूदन
Transliteration
bhīṣma uvāca caturvidhīyaṃ nirdiṣṭā hy ahiṃsā brahmavādibhiḥ | ekaikato ’pi viśraṣṭā na bhavaty arisūdana ||
Translation
ભીષ્મે કહ્યું—અરિસૂદન! બ્રહ્મવાદી મહર્ષિઓએ અહિંસાને ચતુર્વિધ કહી છે. તેમાંનો એક પણ અંશ ખૂટે તો અહિંસા-વ્રતનું પૂર્ણ પાલન થતું નથી.
Word by Word
भीष्मःBhishma
भीष्मः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootभीष्म
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
उवाचsaid
उवाच:
TypeVerb
Rootवच्
FormPerfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
चतुर्विधम्fourfold
चतुर्विधम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootचतुर्विध
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
निर्दिष्टाhas been prescribed/indicated
निर्दिष्टा:
TypeVerb
Rootनिर्दिश्
FormPast passive participle (kta), Feminine, Nominative, Singular
अहिंसाnon-violence
अहिंसा:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootअहिंसा
FormFeminine, Nominative, Singular
ब्रह्मवादिभिःby the Brahma-speaking (Brahmavādin) sages
ब्रह्मवादिभिः:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootब्रह्मवादिन्
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Plural
एकैकतःone by one / individually
एकैकतः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएकैकतः
अपिeven/also
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
विश्रष्टाif (it) is fallen short/deficient
विश्रष्टा:
TypeVerb
Rootविश्रंस्
FormPast passive participle (kta), Feminine, Nominative, Singular
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
भवतिbecomes/is
भवति:
TypeVerb
Rootभू
FormPresent, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
अरिसूदनO slayer of foes
अरिसूदन:
TypeNoun
Rootअरिसूदन
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhishmaA
Arisudana (Yudhisthira)B
Brahmavadins (Vedic sages)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Ahimsa is not a single act but a complete discipline with four components as taught by Vedic sages; if any one component is neglected, the practice is incomplete.
In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising Yudhisthira on dharma, emphasizing the rigorous, multi-part nature of observing non-violence.