Shloka 28

ब्रह्मस्वहरण-निषेधः — Prohibition of Appropriating Brahmin Property

Brahmasva

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच इत्युक्त: स तदा तेन ब्रह्मास्वार्थ परंतप । हुत्वा रणमुखे प्राणान्‌ गतिमिष्टामवाप ह

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | ity uktaḥ sa tadā tena brahmārtha-parantapa | hutvā raṇamukhe prāṇān gatim iṣṭām avāpa ha ||

Translation

भीष्म म्हणाले—“परंतप! क्षत्रियाने असे सांगितल्यावर त्या चांडालाने ब्राह्मणाच्या धनाच्या रक्षणासाठी रणमुखी प्राणांची आहुती दिली आणि अभिष्ट गती प्राप्त केली.”

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• उक्तः: having been told / addressed
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: kta (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तदा: then
• तदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तदा

• तेन: by him
• तेन: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• ब्रह्मस्वार्थे: for the sake of the Brahmin's property/interest
• ब्रह्मस्वार्थे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मस्वार्थ
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• परंतप: O scorcher of foes
• Type: Noun
• Root: परंतप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• हुत्वा: having offered/sacrificed
• Type: Verb
• Root: हु
• Form: ktvā (absolutive), Parasmaipada (usage)

• रणमुखे: at the front of battle
• रणमुखे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: रणमुख
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• प्राणान्: life-breaths / lives
• प्राणान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• गतिम्: state/goal (after death)
• गतिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• इष्टाम्: desired
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इष्ट
• Form: kta (from √इष्/इच्छ् in sense 'desired'), Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अवाप: attained
• Type: Verb
• Root: आप्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ह: indeed (emphatic particle)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: ह

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Parantapa (epithet addressed)
• Kshatriya
• Chandala
• Brahmin
• Brahmin’s wealth (brahmārtha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that the moral quality of an act in war depends on intention and dharmic purpose: giving one’s life to protect another’s rightful property—especially a Brahmin’s entrusted wealth—is portrayed as a meritorious sacrifice leading to an auspicious destiny (iṣṭā gati).

What is happening in the narrative?

After being addressed by a Kshatriya, a Chandala resolves to protect the Brahmin’s wealth; he enters the battle-front and sacrifices his life there, and Bhishma reports that he attains the desired posthumous state.