ब्राह्मणा ऊचुः । अहिंसा परमो धर्मः सत्यमेतत्त्वयोदितम् । परं तथापि धर्मोऽस्ति शृणुष्वैकाग्रमानसः
brāhmaṇā ūcuḥ | ahiṃsā paramo dharmaḥ satyametattvayoditam | paraṃ tathāpi dharmo'sti śṛṇuṣvaikāgramānasaḥ
ബ്രാഹ്മണർ പറഞ്ഞു—“അഹിംസയാണ് പരമധർമ്മം; നീ പറഞ്ഞത് സത്യമത്രേ. എങ്കിലും മറ്റൊരു ധർമ്മവും ഉണ്ട്; ഏകാഗ്രമനസ്സോടെ കേൾക്കുക.”
Brāhmaṇas (Dwijas)
Listener: Vaḍavās / interlocutors in the debate
Scene: Brāhmaṇas speak calmly to an agitated group, one elder raising a hand in instruction, faces serene, inviting single-pointed attention.
Ahimsa is upheld as supreme, but dharma can also be contextual; one must listen carefully to discern higher intent.
Dharmāraṇya is implied as a sanctified arena for dharma-inquiry, though no single tirtha-name is specified in this verse.
No explicit ritual is prescribed; the verse introduces a doctrinal clarification about dharma.