Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 4

Dvaipāyana–Kīṭa Saṃvāda: Karmic Memory, Fear of Death, and Embodied Pleasure

Devanagari script

भीष्म उवाच चतुर्विधियं निर्दिष्टा हाहिंसा ब्रह्मवादिभि: । एकैकतो<पि विश्रष्टा न भवत्यरिसूदन

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca caturvidhīyaṃ nirdiṣṭā hy ahiṃsā brahmavādibhiḥ | ekaikato ’pi viśraṣṭā na bhavaty arisūdana ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“阿利苏陀那啊，宣说梵（Brahman）之圣者，将不害规定为四重。若其中哪怕缺失一分，也不能称为圆满持守不害之誓。”

Word by Word

• भीष्मः: Bhishma
• भीष्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: भीष्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• चतुर्विधम्: fourfold
• चतुर्विधम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: चतुर्विध
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• निर्दिष्टा: has been prescribed/indicated
• Type: Verb
• Root: निर्दिश्
• Form: Past passive participle (kta), Feminine, Nominative, Singular

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

• ब्रह्मवादिभिः: by the Brahma-speaking (Brahmavādin) sages
• ब्रह्मवादिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मवादिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• एकैकतः: one by one / individually
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एकैकतः

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

• विश्रष्टा: if (it) is fallen short/deficient
• Type: Verb
• Root: विश्रंस्
• Form: Past passive participle (kta), Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• भवति: becomes/is
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अरिसूदन: O slayer of foes
• Type: Noun
• Root: अरिसूदन
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Arisudana (Yudhisthira)
• Brahmavadins (Vedic sages)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ahimsa is not a single act but a complete discipline with four components as taught by Vedic sages; if any one component is neglected, the practice is incomplete.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction section, Bhishma continues advising Yudhisthira on dharma, emphasizing the rigorous, multi-part nature of observing non-violence.