Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 16

Devanagari script

धनी गत्वा कपानाह न वो विदप्रा: प्रियंकरा: । गहीत्वास्त्राण्यतो विप्रान्‌ कपा: सर्वे समाद्रवन्‌

Transliteration

dhanī gatvā kapān āha—na vo vidprāḥ priyamkarāḥ | gṛhītvā astrāṇy ato viprān kapāḥ sarve samādravan |

Translation

毗湿摩说道：那富人走到群猴那里，对它们说：“婆罗门并不愿意做令你们欢喜之事。”群猴闻言，尽皆执起兵器，齐声奔突，向婆罗门猛然攻去。

Word by Word

• धनी: the wealthy man
• धनी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: धनिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गत्वा: having gone
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral), Non-finite

• कपान्: monkeys
• कपान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कप
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• आह: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: अह्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

• वः: of you / your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: —, Genitive, Plural

• विप्राः: brahmins
• विप्राः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रियंकराः: well-disposed / doing what is pleasing
• Type: Adjective
• Root: प्रियंकर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• गृहीत्वा: having taken
• Type: Verb
• Root: ग्रह्
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive/gerund), Parasmaipada (usage-neutral), Non-finite

• अस्त्राणि: weapons
• अस्त्राणि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अस्त्र
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• अतः: thereupon / then
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अतः

• विप्रान्: brahmins
• विप्रान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विप्र
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• कपाः: the monkeys
• कपाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: कप
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सर्वे: all
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• समाद्रवन्: rushed upon / attacked
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्रु
• Form: Imperfect, 3, Plural, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• dhanī (wealthy man)
• kapāḥ (monkeys)
• viprāḥ (brahmins)
• astrāṇi (weapons)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse highlights the ethical danger of inflammatory speech: when grievances are framed as deliberate hostility, they can incite collective violence. It implicitly warns that dharma is harmed when anger and weapons are turned against those traditionally owed protection, such as brahmins.

What is happening in the narrative?

A wealthy man reports to the monkeys that the brahmins are not willing to please them. Enraged by this message, the monkeys arm themselves and rush to attack the brahmins.