Shloka 8

Devanagari script

पन्थान: सर्वनेतारो यज्ञवाहा: सनातना: । पितृपैतामहीं गुर्वीमुद्गहन्ति धुरं सदा,ब्राह्मण ही सबके पथप्रदर्शक, नेता और सनातन यज्ञ-निर्वाहक हैं। वे बाप-दादोंकी चलायी हुई भारी धर्म-मर्यादाका भार सदा वहन करते हैं

Transliteration

panthānaḥ sarva-netāro yajña-vāhāḥ sanātanāḥ | pitṛ-paitāmahīṁ gurvīm udgahnanti dhuraṁ sadā ||

Translation

Bhīṣma berkata: “Kaum Brahmin ialah penunjuk jalan bagi semua—pemimpin dan pemikul tradisi yajña yang kekal. Mereka sentiasa memikul beban berat tata dharma yang diwariskan oleh bapa dan datuk-nenek.”

Word by Word

पन्थानःpaths / ways

सर्वनेतारःleaders of all (guides of everyone)

यज्ञवाहाःbearers/performers of sacrifice

सनातनाःeternal, ancient

पितृपैतामहींancestral (of fathers and grandfathers)

गुर्वीम्heavy, weighty

उद्गहन्तिthey bear / carry (up)

धुरम्burden, yoke-load

सदाalways

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

Brahmins (brāhmaṇāḥ)

Yajña (sacrifice)

Ancestral forefathers (pitṛ, pitāmaha)

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?

The verse presents Brahmins as custodians of dharma and Vedic sacrificial culture: they guide society and uphold an inherited, demanding moral-religious responsibility across generations.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs on dharma and social-religious duties. Here he emphasizes the Brahmin’s traditional role as teacher/guide and as one who sustains yajña and ancestral norms.