Shloka 23

स्त्रीस्वभावप्रश्नः — Nārada and Pañcacūḍā on Strī-svabhāva

Anuśāsana-parva 38

Devanagari script

प्रतिग्रहेण तेजो हि विप्राणां शाम्पतेडनघ । प्रतिग्रहं ये नेच्छेयुस्ते भ्यो रक्ष्यं त्वया नृप

Transliteration

pratigraheṇa tejo hi viprāṇāṃ śāṃpate 'naghā | pratigrahaṃ ye neccheyus tebhyo rakṣyaṃ tvayā nṛpa || niṣpāpa nareśa ||

Translation

Бхишма сказал: «О безупречный владыка, духовное сияние (tejas) брахманов поистине меркнет, когда они принимают дары. Поэтому, о царь, тебе следует чтить и оберегать—ради сохранения твоего рода и царства—тех брахманов, которые не желают принимать подношения, о правитель без греха».

Word by Word

• प्रतिग्रहेण: by accepting gifts
• प्रतिग्रहेण: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिग्रह
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• तेजः: splendor, spiritual power
• तेजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तेजस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• विप्राणाम्: of the brahmins
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• शाम्यते: becomes pacified/wanes
• Type: Verb
• Root: शम्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada, Active (intransitive)

• पते: O lord
• Type: Noun
• Root: पति
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• अनघ: O sinless one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनघ
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• प्रतिग्रहम्: gift-acceptance (receiving gifts)
• प्रतिग्रहम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रतिग्रह
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• ये: who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• इच्छेयुः: would wish/desire
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Optative, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• तेभ्यः: from them / than them
• तेभ्यः: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Plural

• रक्ष्यम्: to be protected
• Type: Verb
• Root: रक्ष्
• Form: Gerundive (future passive participle), Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• त्वया: by you
• त्वया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Instrumental, Singular

• नृप: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: नृप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• निष्पाप: O sinless one
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निष्पाप
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• नरेश: O lord of men (king)
• Type: Noun
• Root: नरेश
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• King (addressed as śāṃpati/nṛpa/nareśa)
• Brahmins (viprāḥ)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that indiscriminate acceptance of gifts can erode a Brahmin’s spiritual-moral potency (tejas). Hence, a king should especially protect and honor those Brahmins who maintain independence by refusing gifts, as their integrity strengthens dharma and stabilizes the realm.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction to the king within the Anushasana Parva, he discusses norms of conduct around giving and receiving. Here he warns about the spiritual cost of ‘pratigraha’ for Brahmins and urges the king to safeguard those who decline gifts, treating them as pillars of the kingdom’s welfare.