Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 13

Devanagari script

तद्वाक्यान्ते चान्तरिक्षे वागुवाचाशरीरिणी

Transliteration

tadvākyānte cāntarikṣe vāg uvācāśarīriṇī | mūrkha! tvaṁ na jānāsi yathā brāhmaṇaḥ kṣatriyād api śreṣṭhaḥ | brāhmaṇasya sahāyatayaiva kṣatriyo ’smin loke prajā-rakṣāṁ karoti ||

Translation

他话音方落，虚空中便有无形之声传来：“愚人！你竟不知婆罗门甚至高于刹帝利吗？唯有依凭婆罗门的扶持，刹帝利才能在此世护佑百姓！”

Word by Word

• तत्: that
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• वाक्य: speech/statement
• वाक्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाक्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• अन्ते: at the end
• अन्ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

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

• अन्तरिक्षे: in the sky/space
• अन्तरिक्षे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तरिक्ष
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• वाक्: a voice/speech
• वाक्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said/spoke
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha/Lit), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अशरीरिणी: bodiless (voice)
• अशरीरिणी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अशरीरिन्
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• aśarīriṇī vāk (celestial/disembodied voice)
• brāhmaṇa
• kṣatriya
• prajā (subjects/people)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse asserts a dharmic hierarchy and interdependence: the kṣatriya’s political power is meant to serve protection of the people, but it must be guided and supported by brāhmaṇic counsel—learning, ritual authority, and moral restraint—without which rulership becomes misguided.

What is happening in the narrative?

After someone finishes speaking, a disembodied heavenly voice intervenes to rebuke him as ignorant and to proclaim that brāhmaṇas are superior to kṣatriyas, emphasizing that a ruler can protect society properly only with brāhmaṇa support.