Shloka 20
अहिंसा-प्रधान धर्मविचारः
Ahiṃsā as the Superior Dharma: Practical and Scriptural Reasoning
Devanagari script
पुनरेव ततो राजन मौनमातिष्ठदुत्तमम्
Transliteration
punar eva tato rājan maunam ātiṣṭhad uttamam
Translation
Kemudian sekali lagi, wahai Raja, dia kembali berpegang pada mauna—kesunyian yang tertinggi.
Word by Word
पुनःagain
पुनः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootपुनः
एवindeed/just
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
ततःthen/from that (time)
ततः:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootततः
राजन्O king
राजन्:
TypeNoun
Rootराजन्
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
मौनम्silence
मौनम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootमौन
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
आतिष्ठत्he adopted/observed
आतिष्ठत्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootआ-स्था
FormImperfect (Lan), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
उत्तमम्excellent/supreme
उत्तमम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootउत्तम
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
Speaker
पितामह उवाच
Characters & Entities
प
पितामह (Bhīṣma)र
राजन् (Yudhiṣṭhira, implied addressee)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
The verse highlights mauna (disciplined silence) as a superior practice of self-restraint—knowing when to speak and when to return to inward steadiness is presented as ethically elevating.
In Bhīṣma’s discourse to King Yudhiṣṭhira in the Śānti Parva, after a segment of instruction, the described figure (within Bhīṣma’s narration) again adopts profound silence, marking a pause or completion of counsel.