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Shloka 67

उपदेशदोषप्रसङ्गः (Upadeśa-doṣa-prasaṅgaḥ) — The Risk of Misapplied Counsel

एवं प्राप्तो महत्कृच्छुमृषि: सन्नपसत्तम । ब्राह्मणेन न वक्तव्यं तस्माद्‌ वर्णावरे जने

evaṁ prāpto mahatkṛcchum ṛṣiḥ sann apasattama | brāhmaṇena na vaktavyaṁ tasmād varṇāvare jane, nūpaśiromaṇe ||

एवं प्राप्तो महत्कृच्छुमृषिः सन्नपसत्तम । ब्राह्मणेन न वक्तव्यं तस्माद् वर्णावरे जने ॥

एवम्thus, in this manner
एवम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएवम्
प्राप्तःhaving reached / having come to
प्राप्तः:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootप्राप्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, क्त (past passive participle)
महत्great
महत्:
Karma
TypeAdjective
Rootमहत्
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
कृच्छुम्hardship, distress
कृच्छुम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootकृच्छ्र
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
ऋषिःsage
ऋषिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootऋषि
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
सन्being
सन्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootअस्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular, शतृ (present active participle)
अपसत्तमO best of the low/degenerate (address)
अपसत्तम:
TypeNoun
Rootअपसत्तम
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular
ब्राह्मणेनby a Brahmin
ब्राह्मणेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootब्राह्मण
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
not
:
TypeIndeclinable
Root
वक्तव्यम्should be spoken / ought to be said
वक्तव्यम्:
TypeVerb
Rootवच्
FormNeuter, Nominative, Singular, तव्य (gerundive/obligatory)
तस्मात्therefore, from that reason
तस्मात्:
Apadana
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular
वर्णावरेin/with one of lower caste
वर्णावरे:
Adhikarana
TypeAdjective
Rootवर्ण-अवर
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
जनेin a person, among people
जने:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootजन
FormMasculine, Locative, Singular
नूपशिरोमणेO crest-jewel of Nūpa (address)
नूपशिरोमणे:
TypeNoun
Rootनूप-शिरोमणि
FormMasculine, Vocative, Singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
ṛṣi (unnamed sage)
B
brāhmaṇa
V
varṇāvara jana (person of lower varṇa)
N
nūpaśiromaṇi (addressed king, likely Yudhiṣṭhira)

Educational Q&A

Bhīṣma draws a normative rule from an example: instruction (upadeśa) should be given with discernment about the recipient; he states that a brāhmaṇa ought not to teach a person deemed of lower varṇa, because such teaching previously led a sage into grave trouble.

Bhīṣma is concluding an illustrative episode: an unnamed sage, despite being righteous, suffered severe hardship after giving counsel to a śūdra. Using that outcome as a caution, he advises the king (addressed as nūpaśiromaṇi) about restrictions on whom a brāhmaṇa should instruct.