Shloka 23

Devanagari script

अहिंसा सत्यमक्रोधो दानमेतच्चतुष्टयम्‌ । अजातकशत्रो सेवस्व धर्म एब सनातन:,अजातशत्रो! अंहिसा, सत्य, अक्रोध और दान--इन चारोंका सदा सेवन करो। यह सनातन धर्म है

Transliteration

ahiṃsā satyam akrodho dānam etac catuṣṭayam | ajātaśatro sevāsva dharma eṣa sanātanaḥ ||

Translation

โอ อชาตศัตรู จงประพฤติสี่ประการนี้เสมอ—อหิงสา ความสัตย์ ความไม่โกรธ และทาน นี่แลคือธรรมะอันเป็นนิรันดร์

Word by Word

• अहिंसा: non-violence
• अहिंसा: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अहिंसा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अक्रोधः: absence of anger
• अक्रोधः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अक्रोध (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• दानम्: giving, charity
• दानम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: दान (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• चतुष्टयम्: a set of four, quartet
• चतुष्टयम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुष्टय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• अजातशत्रो: O one whose enemy is not born (O Ajātaśatru)
• Type: Noun
• Root: अजातशत्रु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• सेवस्व: practice, cultivate (you should practice)
• Type: Verb
• Root: सेव् (धातु)
• Form: Loṭ (imperative), Ātmanepada, Second, Singular

• धर्मः: dharma, righteous duty
• धर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• एव: indeed, certainly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• सनातनः: eternal, perennial
• सनातनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सनातन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Ajatashatru (Yudhishthira)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma defines a concise ethical foundation: cultivate non-violence, truth, freedom from anger, and generosity as a constant discipline; these four together are presented as ‘sanātana dharma,’ the perennial standard of righteous living.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma addresses Ajātaśatru (Yudhiṣṭhira), giving direct guidance on the virtues a righteous ruler and person should continually practice.