Shloka 18

Devanagari script

देवानामपि ये देवा: कारणं कारणस्य च । प्रमाणस्य प्रमाणं च कस्तानभिभवेद्‌ बुध:

Transliteration

devānām api ye devāḥ kāraṇaṁ kāraṇasya ca | pramāṇasya pramāṇaṁ ca kas tān abhibhaved budhaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: “Các Bà-la-môn, như thể, là ‘chư thần’ ngay cả đối với chư thiên; là nguyên nhân của mọi nguyên nhân, là chuẩn mực của mọi chuẩn mực. Vậy người trí nào lại muốn khuất phục hay làm nhục họ?”

Word by Word

• देवानाम्: of the gods
• देवानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

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

• ये: who/which
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• देवाः: gods (divine ones)
• देवाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कारणम्: cause
• कारणम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• कारणस्य: of the cause
• कारणस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कारण
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• प्रमाणस्य: of the proof/authority
• प्रमाणस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण
• Form: Neuter, Genitive, Singular

• प्रमाणम्: proof/authority/standard
• प्रमाणम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमाण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• कः: who?
• कः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: किम्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तान्: them
• तान्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अभिभवेत्: should overpower/insult/overcome
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि-भू
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• बुधः: a wise man
• बुधः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Devas (gods)
• Brahmanas (Brahmins)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that Brahmanas, as custodians of sacred knowledge and moral authority, should not be insulted or overpowered; wisdom expresses itself through reverence for the sources of dharma and valid knowledge (pramāṇa).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anushasana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhishthira on dharma. Here he emphasizes the exalted status of Brahmanas—portraying them as foundational to cosmic and ethical order—and warns that a truly wise person would not dishonour them.