Shloka 27

Devanagari script

न हिंसयति यो जन्तून्‌ मनोवाक्कायहेतुभि: । जीवितार्थापनयनै: प्राणिभिर्न स हिंस्यते,जो मनुष्य मन, वाणी और शरीररूपी साधनोंद्वारा प्राणियोंकी हिंसा नहीं करता, उसकी भी जीवन और अर्थका नाश करनेवाले हिंसक प्राणी हिंसा नहीं करते हैं

Transliteration

na hiṁsayati yo jantūn manovākkāyahetubhiḥ | jīvitārthāpanayanaiḥ prāṇibhir na sa hiṁsyate ||

Translation

ພີສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ຜູ້ໃດບໍ່ເຮັດຮ້າຍສັດມີຊີວິດ ດ້ວຍໃຈ ຄຳເວົ້າ ແລະກາຍ ຜູ້ນັ້ນກໍບໍ່ຖືກເຮັດຮ້າຍ ແມ່ນແຕ່ໂດຍສັດດຸຮ້າຍທີ່ອາດຈະພາກຊີວິດ ແລະຊີວິດຄວາມເປັນຢູ່ຂອງຜູ້ອື່ນ. ຄວາມບໍ່ເບຍບຽນນີ້ເປັນພະລັງທາງຈັນຍາທຳທີ່ປົກປ້ອງ ກົດກັ້ນຄວາມອາຄາດ ແລະຫຼຸດຫຼົງເຫດທີ່ເຊີນອັນຕະລາຍ».

Word by Word

नnot

हिंसयतिharms

यःwho

जन्तून्living beings

मनः-वाक्-काय-हेतुभिःby means of mind, speech, and body

जीवित-अर्थ-अपनयनैःby acts that take away life and wealth

प्राणिभिःby living creatures (others)

नnot

सःhim

हिंस्यतेis harmed

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

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

What is the core teaching?

Ahimsa must be practiced in thought, speech, and action. A person who refrains from harming others in these three ways becomes less entangled in cycles of hostility and retaliation; even those inclined to violence are less likely to harm such a person.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhishma teaches Yudhishthira ethical principles for peace and right conduct. Here he highlights non-violence as a practical discipline that shapes one’s safety and social relations.