Shloka 41

अहिंसयित्वा ब्रह्महत्याविधानम् / Brahmahatyā incurred without physical violence

Devanagari script

निशम्य च गुणोपेतं ब्राह्म॒णं साधुसम्मतम्‌ । दूरादानाय्य सत्कृत्य सर्वतश्नचापि पूजयेत्‌

Transliteration

niśamya ca guṇopetaṃ brāhmaṇaṃ sādhusammatam | dūrād ānīya satkṛtya sarvataś cāpi pūjayet ||

Translation

Бхишма сказал: Услышав о брахмане, наделённом добродетелями и признанном праведными людьми, следует пригласить его даже издалека, принять с должными почестями и почитать всячески.

Word by Word

• निशम्य: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: नि-शम् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• गुणोपेतम्: endowed with virtues
• गुणोपेतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुणोपेत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ब्राह्मणम्: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• साधु-सम्मतम्: approved by the good
• साधु-सम्मतम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: साधुसम्मत (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• दूरात्: from afar
• दूरात्: Apadana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दूर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: ablatival adverbial usage

• आनाय्य: having brought (having led here)
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-नी (धातु)
• Form: ल्यप् (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• सत्कृत्य: having honored
• Type: Verb
• Root: सत्-√कृ (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), कर्तरि

• सर्वतः: in every way / on all sides
• सर्वतः: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वतः

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• अपि: also / even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• पूजयेत्: should worship / should honor
• Type: Verb
• Root: पूज् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (optative), present-system (injunctive/optative sense), Third, Singular, परस्मैपद

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• brāhmaṇa
• sādhu (the righteous/good people)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Actively honor those known to be virtuous and endorsed by the righteous—go out of your way to receive them respectfully and show comprehensive reverence, making ethical recognition concrete through hospitality and service.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he lays down a normative rule of conduct: when one learns of a worthy Brahmin (virtuous and respected by good people), one should invite or fetch him even from a distance, welcome him with proper honors, and treat him with full respect.