Shloka 513

ब्राह्मणपूजा-राजधर्मः | Royal Duty of Honoring Learned Brahmins

Devanagari script

अस्येदानीं वधादद्य भविष्याम्यनृण: पितु: । इतना ही नहीं

Transliteration

asyedānīṁ vadhād adya bhaviṣyāmy anṛṇaḥ pituḥ |

Translation

ଭୀଷ୍ମ କହିଲେ— “ଆଜି ଏହାକୁ ବଧ କଲେ ମୁଁ ଶେଷରେ ପିତୃଋଣରୁ ଉଋଣ ହେବି। ଏତିକି ନୁହେଁ—ଏହାର ପୁଅମାନେ କାଶୀ-ପ୍ରଦେଶର ସମଗ୍ର ରାଜ୍ୟକୁ ଉଜାଡ଼ି ଦେଇଛନ୍ତି ଏବଂ ସଞ୍ଚିତ ରତ୍ନଭଣ୍ଡାରକୁ ଲୁଟି ନେଇଛନ୍ତି। ଅହଙ୍କାରରେ ମତ୍ତ ସେ ରାଜାଙ୍କ ଶତ ପୁଅକୁ ମୁଁ ପୂର୍ବରୁ ହତ୍ୟା କରିଛି; ଏବେ କେବଳ ଏମାନେ ଅବଶିଷ୍ଟ। ଏବେ ଏମାନଙ୍କୁ ମଧ୍ୟ ବଧ କଲେ କି ମୁଁ ପିତାଙ୍କ ଋଣରୁ ମୁକ୍ତ ହେବି?”

Word by Word

• अस्य: of this (one)
• अस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• इदानीम्: now
• इदानीम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इदानीम्

• वधात्: from/after the killing
• वधात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वध
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• अद्य: today
• अद्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अद्य

• भविष्यामि: I shall become
• भविष्यामि: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Simple Future (Luṭ), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अनृणः: free from debt/obligation
• अनृणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनृण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पितुः: of (my) father
• पितुः: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• father of Bhīṣma (pituḥ)
• king (rājā)
• the king’s hundred sons
• Kāśī (Kāśī-prānta)
• treasures/jewels (ratna-saṁgraha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage frames violence within the moral language of ṛṇa (obligation): Bhīṣma interprets his duty to his father as a binding debt that can be ‘discharged’ through decisive action. It highlights the tension between personal vows/filial duty and the ethical weight of killing, especially when justified as restoring order after plunder and arrogance.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhīṣma speaks about completing an act of retribution: after the king’s sons have ravaged Kāśī and looted treasures, he claims to have already killed a hundred of them, with only a few remaining. He considers killing the rest ‘today’ so that he may become anṛṇa—free of his debt to his father.