Shloka 29

Devanagari script

तस्माद्‌ रक्ष्यं त्वया पुत्र ब्रह्म॒स्वं भरतर्षभ । यदीच्छसि महाबाहो शाश्वतीं गतिमात्मन:,बेटा! भरतश्रेष्ठ) महाबाहो! यदि तुम सनातन गति पाना चाहते हो तो तुम्हें ब्राह्मणके धनकी पूरी रक्षा करनी चाहिये

Transliteration

tasmād rakṣyaṃ tvayā putra brahmasvaṃ bharatarṣabha | yad icchasi mahābāho śāśvatīṃ gatim ātmanaḥ ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు అన్నాడు—“కాబట్టి, కుమారా! ఓ భరతశ్రేష్ఠా, ఓ మహాబాహో! నీకు శాశ్వత పరమగతి కావాలంటే, బ్రాహ్మణుల ధనాన్ని సంపూర్ణంగా రక్షించాలి.”

Word by Word

तस्मात्therefore/from that reason

रक्ष्यम्to be protected

त्वयाby you

पुत्रO son

ब्रह्मस्वम्Brahmin’s property/wealth

भरतर्षभO bull among the Bharatas

यदिif

इच्छसिyou desire

महाबाहोO mighty-armed one

शाश्वतीम्eternal

गतिम्state/goal, course

आत्मनःof yourself

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

putra (addressed son/king)

Bharatarṣabha (honorific for the addressee)

Brahmins (implied by brahmasvam)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A ruler seeking lasting spiritual welfare should actively protect Brahmin property; safeguarding the rightful possessions of the learned and religious is presented as a key duty of kingship and a source of enduring merit.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) on dharma. Here he emphasizes the obligation to protect Brahmin wealth as part of righteous governance and as a means to attain an eternal good.