Shloka 7

Brāhmaṇa-mahattva and Atithi-Dharma

Brahmagītā: Praise of Brāhmaṇas and norms of honor

Devanagari script

नवनीलोत्पलापीडचारुवर्ण सुदर्शन । दाडिमाशोकपुष्पाक्ष मा त्रसस्वाभयं तव,“नूतन नील-कमलके हारकी भाँति तेरी मनोहर कान्ति है। तू देखनेमें बड़ा सुन्दर है। तेरी आँखें अनार और अशोकके फूलोंकी भाँति लाल हैं। तू भयभीत न हो। मैं तुझे अभय दान देता हूँ

Transliteration

navanīlotpalāpīḍacāruvarṇa sudarśana | dāḍimāśokapuṣpākṣa mā trasasvābhayaṃ tava ||

Translation

भीष्म म्हणाले—“नव्या निळ्या कमळांच्या माळेसारखी तुझी कांती आहे; तू अतिशय सुदर्शन आहेस. डाळिंब व अशोकपुष्पांसारखे तुझे डोळे लाल आहेत. घाबरू नकोस; मी तुला अभय देतो.”

Word by Word

नवनीलोत्पलापीडचारुवर्णO you whose lovely complexion is like an ornament of fresh blue lotuses

सुदर्शनO handsome one / O fair to behold

दाडिमाशोकपुष्पाक्षO you whose eyes are like pomegranate and aśoka flowers

माdo not

त्रसस्वbe afraid / tremble

अभयम्fearlessness; protection

तवfor you / of you

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

blue lotus (utpala)

pomegranate (dāḍima)

aśoka blossoms

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A dharmic protector should remove fear from the vulnerable: offering ‘abhaya’ (fearlessness) is a moral act of guardianship, compassion, and responsibility.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma addresses a frightened person with affectionate, poetic descriptions and reassures them, explicitly granting protection and safety (abhaya).