Shloka 27

Śreyas-nirdeśa (Discerning the Superior Good): Nārada–Gālava Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

यो न हिंसति सत्त्वानि मनोवाक्कर्महेतुभि:

Transliteration

yo na hiṃsati sattvāni manovākkarmahetubhiḥ

Translation

ビーシュマは言った。「心の衝動によっても、言葉によっても、身体の行いによっても、生きとし生けるものを害さぬ者は、不殺生（アヒンサー, ahimsa）を単なる外面的抑制ではなく、全き倫理の修行として体現する。」

Word by Word

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)

• हिंसति: harms, injures
• Type: Verb
• Root: हिंस् (धातु)
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सत्त्वानि: living beings
• सत्त्वानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• मनः: by mind
• मनः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• वाक्: by speech
• वाक्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• कर्म: by action/deed
• कर्म: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• हेतुभिः: by means/causes
• हेतुभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• sattvāni (living beings)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ahimsa is threefold and complete only when it is upheld in intention (mind), expression (speech), and conduct (action). Ethical purity is measured not just by what one does, but also by what one wills and says.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s dharma instruction, Bhīṣma continues advising on righteous conduct, emphasizing non-violence as a foundational virtue that must govern inner motives, spoken words, and outward deeds.