Shloka 17

Devanagari script

अहिंसेति प्रतिज्ञेयं यदि वक्ष्याम्यत: परम्‌ | शक्यं बहुविध॑ कर्तु भवता कार्यदूषणम्‌,इसके बाद भी यदि मैं कुछ कहूँ तो यही कह सकता हूँ कि सबको यह प्रतिज्ञा कर लेनी चाहिये कि “मैं अहिंसा-धर्मका पालन करूँगा।” अन्यथा आपके द्वारा नाना प्रकारके कार्य-दोष सम्पादित हो सकते हैं

Transliteration

ahiṃseti pratijñeyaṃ yadi vakṣyāmy ataḥ param | śakyaṃ bahuvidhaṃ kartuṃ bhavatā kāryadūṣaṇam ||

Translation

The Brahmin said: “If I am to speak further, then this is what I would say: one should make a firm vow—‘I shall practice the dharma of non-violence.’ Otherwise, through your actions, many kinds of faults and corruptions of duty may be brought about.”

Word by Word

अहिंसाnon-violence

इतिthus (quotative)

प्रतिज्ञेयम्to be vowed / should be pledged

यदिif

वक्ष्यामिI will say

अतःthereafter / from here

परम्further / beyond

शक्यम्possible

बहुविधम्of many kinds

कर्तुम्to do / to make

भवताby you

कार्यदूषणम्fault/defect in action; wrongdoing

Speaker

ब्राह्मण उवाच

Characters & Entities

ब

ब्राह्मण (Brahmin speaker)

अ

अहिंसा (non-violence, as a vowed principle)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse urges adopting a clear vow of ahiṃsā (non-violence) as a guiding dharma; without such restraint, one’s actions can easily generate multiple kinds of moral faults (kārya-dūṣaṇa).

What is happening in the narrative?

A Brahmin speaker offers counsel: if he must add anything further, it is to recommend a solemn commitment to non-violence, warning that otherwise the listener’s conduct may lead to many blemishes in action and duty.