Shloka 19

Adhyāya 119: Vyāsa–Kīṭa-saṃvāda

Tapas-bala and karmic ascent across yoni

Devanagari script

एवं वै परम धर्म प्रशंसन्ति मनीषिण: । प्राणा यथा55त्मनो5भीष्टा भूतानामपि वै तथा

Transliteration

evaṁ vai parama-dharmaṁ praśaṁsanti manīṣiṇaḥ | prāṇā yathā ātmano ’bhīṣṭā bhūtānām api vai tathā ||

Translation

ภีษมะกล่าวว่า—ดังนี้แล บัณฑิตทั้งหลายยกย่องธรรมอันสูงสุดคืออหิงสา เพราะดังที่ชีวิตลมหายใจของตนเป็นที่รักแก่ตน ฉันใด ชีวิตก็เป็นที่รักแก่สรรพสัตว์ทั้งปวงฉันนั้น

Word by Word

• एवम्: thus, in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• वै: indeed, surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• परम्: supreme
• परम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: परम
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• धर्मम्: dharma, duty, righteousness
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रशंसन्ति: they praise
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-शंस्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Parasmaipada, Third, Plural

• मनीषिणः: the wise (men)
• मनीषिणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनीषिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्राणाः: life-breaths, lives
• प्राणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्राण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• आत्मनः: of oneself
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Singular

• अभीष्टाः: dear, desired
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभीष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भूतानाम्: of beings, of creatures
• Type: Noun
• Root: भूत
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Plural

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

• वै: indeed, surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

• तथा: so, likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• manīṣiṇaḥ (the wise)
• bhūtāni (all beings)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ahimsa (non-violence) is praised as the supreme dharma because every being values its own life as dearly as we value ours; ethical conduct begins with recognizing this shared attachment to life.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma continues advising on righteous conduct, grounding the ideal of non-harm in a universal psychological fact: all creatures cherish their own prāṇa (life).