Shloka 32

Devanagari script

अभिशस्तमपि होषां कृपायीत विशाम्पते । ब्रह्मघ्ने गुरुतल्ये च भ्रूणहत्ये तथैव च,प्रजानाथ! इनमें कोई कलड्कित हो तो उसपर भी कृपा ही करनी चाहिये। ब्रह्महत्या, गुरुपत्नीगमन, भ्रूणहत्या तथा राजद्रोहका अपराध होनेपर भी ब्राह्मणको देशसे निकाल देनेका ही विधान है--उसे शारीरिक दण्ड कभी नहीं देना चाहिये

Transliteration

abhiśastam api hoṣāṃ kṛpāyīta viśāmpate | brahmaghne gurutalye ca bhrūṇahatye tathaiva ca ||

Translation

प्रजानाथा, जो लोकनिंदेने कलंकित झाला असेल त्याच्यावरही कृपाच करावी. ब्रह्महत्या, गुरुपत्नीगमन आणि भ्रूणहत्या असे अपराध असले तरी (ब्राह्मणाच्या बाबतीत) शारीरिक दंड न देता देशाबाहेर घालणे—हाच विधी आहे.

Word by Word

अभिशस्तम्one who is accused/denounced

अपिeven/also

होषम्a sinner/offender (one deserving punishment)

कृपायीतshould show compassion

विशाम्of the people/subjects

पतेO lord

ब्रह्मघ्नेin the case of a Brahmin-slayer (brahmahatyā)

गुरुतल्येin the offence of violating the guru’s bed (adultery with teacher’s wife)

चand

भ्रूणहत्येin foeticide (killing an embryo)

तथाlikewise/so

एवindeed/just

चand

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

viśāmpati (the king/ruler)

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?

Royal justice should be tempered by compassion; even grave offenders—especially Brahmins—are not to be subjected to bodily punishment, with expulsion presented as the restrained, dharmic response.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Shanti Parva discourse on rajadharma, Bhishma instructs the king on how to administer punishment, emphasizing mercy and limits on physical penalties even for severe transgressions.