Shloka 37

Varṇa-adhikāra, Karma, and the Protection of One’s Attained Spiritual Status (वर्णाधिकारः कर्म च स्वस्थानरक्षणम्)

Devanagari script

व्याधितं दुर्बलं बालं स्त्र्यनाथौ कृपणं ध्रुवम् । धनुर्भग्नं छिन्नगुणं हत्वा वै ब्रह्महा भवेत्

Transliteration

vyādhitaṃ durbalaṃ bālaṃ stryanāthau kṛpaṇaṃ dhruvam | dhanurbhagnaṃ chinnaguṇaṃ hatvā vai brahmahā bhavet

Translation

جو بیمار، کمزور، بچہ، بے سہارا عورت یا یتیم، مفلس و نادار، اور جس کا کمان ٹوٹا ہو اور چِلّا کٹا ہو—ایسے بے بس کو قتل کرے، وہ یقیناً برہماہتیا کے برابر مہاپاپ کا مرتکب ہوتا ہے۔

Word by Word

• व्याधितम्: sick, afflicted
• व्याधितम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: व्याधि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: क्त (PPP) ‘व्याधित’ (afflicted/sick); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण (qualifying implied victim)

• दुर्बलम्: weak
• दुर्बलम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दुर्बल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• बालम्: a child
• बालम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: बाल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• स्त्री-अनाथौ: a woman without protector
• स्त्री-अनाथौ: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्त्री (प्रातिपदिक) + अनाथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: कर्मधारय-समास (‘अनाथा स्त्री’); स्त्रीलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन

• कृपणम्: wretched, pitiable
• कृपणम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृपण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• ध्रुवम्: certainly (as fixed), steadfast
• ध्रुवम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: ध्रुव (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• धनुः-भग्नम्: with broken bow
• धनुः-भग्नम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धनुस् (प्रातिपदिक) + भग्न (भञ्ज्-धातु, क्त/PPP)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘धनुषः भग्नम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• छिन्न-गुणम्: with cut bowstring
• छिन्न-गुणम्: Karma (कर्म/Object)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: छिन्न (छिद्-धातु, क्त/PPP) + गुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: षष्ठी-तत्पुरुष (‘गुणः छिन्नः’/‘गुणस्य छिन्नम्’); नपुंसकलिङ्ग, द्वितीया (2nd/Accusative), एकवचन; विशेषण

• हत्वा: having killed
• हत्वा: Kriyāviśeṣaṇa (क्रियाविशेषण/Adverbial)
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: क्त्वान्त अव्यय (gerund/absolutive)

• वै: indeed
• वै: Avadhāraṇa (अवधारण/Emphasis)
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै (अव्यय)
• Form: निश्चय/सम्भावनार्थक निपात (particle)

• ब्रह्महा: a Brahmin-slayer
• ब्रह्महा: Karta (कर्ता/Subject complement)
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मन् (प्रातिपदिक) + हन् (धातु)
• Form: उपपद-तत्पुरुष (agent noun: ‘ब्रह्मणः हन्ता’); पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा (1st/Nominative), एकवचन

• भवेत्: would become
• भवेत्: Kriyā (क्रिया/Predicate)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ् (Optative), प्रथमपुरुष (3rd person), एकवचन; परस्मैपद

Speaker

Narratorial/śāstric voice (didactic statement within the Purāṇic discourse; specific speaker not identifiable from the single verse alone)

Shaiva Theology

Tattva Level: pasha

Shiva Form: Paśupatinātha

Jyotirlinga Context

Significance: Ethical restraint (ahiṃsā toward the helpless) is framed as a prerequisite for purity; without it, even ritual merit is obstructed by mahāpātaka-like demerit.

Characters & Entities

• brāhmaṇa (as the referent in the term brahmahā)

FAQs

Why does the verse equate killing the defenseless with becoming a ‘brahmahā’ (slayer of a brāhmaṇa)?

In Purāṇic and Dharmaśāstra moral reasoning, brahmahatyā functions as a paradigmatic ‘mahāpātaka’ (great sin). By invoking brahmahā here, the text stresses the extreme spiritual gravity of harming those who are vulnerable or incapable of defense, framing such violence as a profound violation of dharma and compassion rather than merely a social offense.