Shloka 22
Devanagari script
तामुवाच महाबाहो ब्रह्म॒वध्यां पितामह:
Transliteration
tām uvāca mahābāho brahmavadhyāṃ pitāmahaḥ
Translation
ພີສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ຜູ້ມີແຂນແຂງກ້າ, ປິຕາມະຫະ (ພຣະອົງຜູ້ເຖົ້າ) ໄດ້ກ່າວກັບນາງ—ນາງຜູ້ບໍ່ຄວນຖືກຂ້າ ເນື່ອງຈາກຢູ່ໃນຄວາມຄຸ້ມຄອງແຫ່ງຄວາມສັກສິດຂອງພຣາຫມັນ»។
Word by Word
ताम्her
ताम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootतद् (स्त्री. सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
उवाचsaid/spoke
उवाच:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootवच् (धातु)
FormPerfect (लिट्), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
महाबाहोO mighty-armed one
महाबाहो:
TypeNoun
Rootमहाबाहु (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
ब्रह्मवध्याम्one whose killing is (a) brahma-slaying (i.e., a brahmin-woman / one protected as a brahmin)
ब्रह्मवध्याम्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootब्रह्मवध्या (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
पितामहःthe Grandsire (Brahmā / Bhīṣma, contextually)
पितामहः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपितामह (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha)M
mahābāhu (addressee, traditionally Yudhiṣṭhira)T
tām (an unnamed woman, described as brahmavadhyā)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse signals a dharmic boundary: certain persons are regarded as inviolable (brahmavadhyā), and ethical governance requires restraint and protection of those under sacred or social protection.
Bhīṣma, narrating to the ‘mighty-armed’ listener, introduces a moment where the Grandsire speaks to a woman characterized as ‘not to be slain,’ setting up an instruction or counsel grounded in dharma.