Shloka 8
Devanagari script
पन्थान: सर्वनेतारो यज्ञवाहा: सनातना: । पितृपैतामहीं गुर्वीमुद्गहन्ति धुरं सदा
Transliteration
panthānaḥ sarva-netāro yajña-vāhāḥ sanātanāḥ | pitṛ-paitāmahīṁ gurvīm udgahnanti dhuraṁ sadā ||
Translation
ભીષ્મે કહ્યું—બ્રાહ્મણો જ સર્વના પથપ્રદર્શક, નેતા અને સનાતન યજ્ઞપરંપરાના વહનકર્તા છે. પિતા-પિતામહોથી ચાલતી આવેલી ભારે ધર્મ-મર્યાદાનો ભાર તેઓ સદા વહન કરે છે.
Word by Word
पन्थानःpaths / ways
पन्थानः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपथिन्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
सर्वनेतारःleaders of all (guides of everyone)
सर्वनेतारः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootसर्वनेतृ
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
यज्ञवाहाःbearers/performers of sacrifice
यज्ञवाहाः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootयज्ञवाह
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
सनातनाःeternal, ancient
सनातनाः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootसनातन
FormMasculine, Nominative, Plural
पितृपैतामहींancestral (of fathers and grandfathers)
पितृपैतामहीं:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootपितृपैतामह
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
गुर्वीम्heavy, weighty
गुर्वीम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootगुरु
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
उद्गहन्तिthey bear / carry (up)
उद्गहन्ति:
TypeVerb
Rootउद् + गह्
FormPresent, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada
धुरम्burden, yoke-load
धुरम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootधुर्
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
सदाalways
सदा:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootसदा
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhishmaB
Brahmins (brāhmaṇāḥ)Y
Yajña (sacrifice)A
Ancestral forefathers (pitṛ, pitāmaha)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
The verse presents Brahmins as custodians of dharma and Vedic sacrificial culture: they guide society and uphold an inherited, demanding moral-religious responsibility across generations.
In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs on dharma and social-religious duties. Here he emphasizes the Brahmin’s traditional role as teacher/guide and as one who sustains yajña and ancestral norms.