Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 18

अहिंसयित्वा ब्रह्महत्याविधानम् / Brahmahatyā incurred without physical violence

Devanagari script

युधिछिर उवाच अनेकान्तं बहुद्वारं धर्ममाहुर्मनीषिण: । किंनिमित्तं भवेदत्र तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: anekāntaṁ bahudvāraṁ dharmam āhur manīṣiṇaḥ | kiṁ-nimittaṁ bhaved atra tan me brūhi pitāmaha ||

Translation

由提湿提罗说道：“祖父啊，智者称法（dharma）多面多门，可由诸途而入。在此事上，究竟以何为决定之因？请为我开示。”

Word by Word

• {'yudhiṣṭhira uvāca': 'Yudhiṣṭhira said', 'anekāntam': 'many-sided

• not confined to a single aspect', 'bahudvāram': 'having many doors/approaches

• accessible through multiple means', 'dharmam': 'dharma

• righteous order, duty, ethical law', 'āhuḥ': 'they say

• they declare', 'manīṣiṇaḥ': 'the wise

• discerning sages', 'kim-nimittam': 'due to what cause

• on what ground', 'bhavet': 'would be

• becomes', 'atra': 'here

• in this matter', 'tat': 'that', 'me': 'to me', 'brūhi': 'tell

• explain', 'pitāmaha': 'O Grandsire

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Dharma is not a single, rigid rule; it is understood as many-sided and approachable through multiple legitimate avenues. The verse frames a request to identify the decisive principle that determines right judgment within this plurality.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Yudhiṣṭhira, seeking guidance after the war, questions Bhīṣma (the Grandsire) on subtle points of dharma. Here he asks Bhīṣma to explain what underlying cause or criterion governs dharma when it appears to have many forms and entry-points.