Shloka 31

Kīṭopākhyāna: Prajā-pālana as Kṣatra-vrata and the Attainment of Brāhmaṇya

Devanagari script

अहिंस्नरस्य तपो$क्षय्यमहिंसत्रो यजते सदा । अहिंस्र: सर्वभूतानां यथा माता यथा पिता

Transliteration

ahiṁsā-narasya tapo 'kṣayyam ahiṁsā-tro yajate sadā | ahiṁsraḥ sarva-bhūtānāṁ yathā mātā yathā pitā ||

Translation

భీష్ముడు పలికెను—అహింసలో నిష్ఠగలవాని తపస్సు అక్షయమగును; అహింసావ్రతుడు సదా యజ్ఞఫలమును పొందును. అహింసకుడు సమస్త భూతములకు తల్లివలె, తండ్రివలె ఉండును.

Word by Word

• अहिंसकस्य: of the non-violent person
• अहिंसकस्य: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहिंसक
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अक्षय्यम्: imperishable, inexhaustible
• अक्षय्यम्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अक्षय्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अहिंसकः: the non-violent person
• अहिंसकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहिंसक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यजते: worships/sacrifices, performs sacrifice
• Type: Verb
• Root: यज्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• सदा: always
• सदा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• अहिंसकः: the non-violent person
• अहिंसकः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहिंसक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वभूतानाम्: of all beings
• सर्वभूतानाम्: Sambandha
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वभूत
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

• यथा: as, like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• माता: mother
• माता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मातृ
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• यथा: as, like
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• पिता: father
• पिता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितृ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Non-violence is presented as a supreme dharmic discipline: it makes one’s austerity inexhaustible and grants the ongoing merit comparable to performing sacrifices, because it protects and nurtures all beings like parents do.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma (Anushasana Parva), he praises ahiṁsā as a foundational virtue, explaining its spiritual fruits and portraying the non-violent person as universally parental toward all creatures.