Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 22

Devanagari script

सदैव भरतश्रेष्ठ मा ते5भूदत्र संशय: । अन्धो जड इवाशड्की यद्‌ ब्रवीमि तदाचर

Transliteration

sadaiva bharataśreṣṭha mā te 'bhūd atra saṁśayaḥ | andho jaḍa ivāśaṅkī yad bravīmi tad ācara ||

Translation

ਹੇ ਭਰਤ-ਸ਼੍ਰੇਸ਼ਠ! ਇਸ ਬਾਰੇ ਤੇਰੇ ਮਨ ਵਿੱਚ ਕਦੇ ਸੰਦੇਹ ਨਾ ਆਵੇ। ਮੈਂ ਜੋ ਕਹਿੰਦਾ ਹਾਂ, ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਅੰਨ੍ਹੇ ਤੇ ਜੜ੍ਹੇ ਵਾਂਗ ਬਿਨਾ ਸ਼ੱਕ ਮੰਨ ਕੇ ਉਸੇ ਅਨੁਸਾਰ ਆਚਰਨ ਕਰ।

Word by Word

• सदैव: always, indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा + एव

• भरतश्रेष्ठ: O best of the Bharatas
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरत-श्रेष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• मा: do not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: मा

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Dative, Singular

• अभूत्: may there be / may arise
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Aorist (luṅ), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अत्र: here, in this matter
• अत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अत्र

• संशयः: doubt
• संशयः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अन्धः: blind (person)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्ध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• जडः: dull, inert (person)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जड
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इव: like, as if
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इव

• अशङ्की: without suspicion, unhesitating
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अ-शङ्किन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यत्: what (that which)
• यत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ब्रवीमि: I say
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Present (laṭ), 1st, Singular, Parasmaipada

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आचर: practice, do, follow
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ + चर्
• Form: Imperative (loṭ), 2nd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Bharata (dynastic epithet: Bharataśreṣṭha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma urges unwavering trust in his dharma-instruction: the listener should set aside doubt and implement the guidance in practice, emphasizing disciplined obedience to well-grounded counsel.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s didactic setting, Bhīṣma continues instructing a Bharata prince (typically Yudhiṣṭhira) and insists that his directives be followed without hesitation or second-guessing.