Shloka 4

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणा: सर्वलोकानां महान्तो धर्मसेतव: । धनत्यागाभिरामाक्ष वाक्संयमरताक्षू ये

Transliteration

brāhmaṇāḥ sarvalokānāṁ mahānto dharmasetavaḥ | dhanatyāgābhirāmāś ca vāksaṁyamaratāś ca ye ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“婆罗门至为伟大——如同桥梁，为诸世界维系达摩的界限。他们以舍弃财物为乐，并专注于约束言语。”

Word by Word

• ब्राह्मणाः: Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वलोकानाम्: of all worlds/people
• सर्वलोकानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वलोक
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• महान्तः: great
• महान्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• धर्मसेतवः: bridges/boundaries of dharma
• धर्मसेतवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्मसेतु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• धनत्यागाभिरामाः: delighting in renunciation of wealth
• धनत्यागाभिरामाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धनत्यागाभिराम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• वाक्संयमरताः: engaged in restraint of speech
• वाक्संयमरताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वाक्संयमरत
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Brahmanas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Society’s moral order is safeguarded by those who embody dharma through renunciation and disciplined speech; true greatness is shown by giving up wealth and restraining one’s words.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma (Anushasana Parva), he praises the Brahmanas as guardians of ethical boundaries, highlighting their ideals of non-attachment to wealth and careful, restrained speech.