Shloka 20

अहिंसयित्वा ब्रह्महत्याविधानम् / Brahmahatyā incurred without physical violence

Devanagari script

ये तु धर्म प्रशंसन्तश्नरन्ति पृथिवीमिमाम्‌ | अनाचरन्तस्तद्‌ धर्म संकरेडभिरता: प्रभो

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | ye tu dharmaṁ praśaṁsantaś caranti pṛthivīm imām | anācarantas tad dharmaṁ saṅkareḍbhir atāḥ prabho ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“主上啊，那些在大地上游走，口口声声称颂法（dharma），却不践行其法的人，乃是伪善之徒；他们沉溺于以正义之名制造混乱与败坏。”

Word by Word

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

• तु: but/indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तु

• धर्मम्: dharma, righteousness
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• प्रशंसन्तः: praising
• प्रशंसन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र-शंस्
• Form: Present active participle (Parasmaipada), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• चरन्ति: they move about / roam
• Type: Verb
• Root: चर्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Parasmaipada, Third, Plural

• पृथिवीम्: the earth
• पृथिवीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथिवी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• इमाम्: this
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अनाचरन्तः: not practicing / not observing
• अनाचरन्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: अन्-आ-चर्
• Form: Present active participle (Parasmaipada), Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• धर्मम्: dharma
• धर्मम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• सङ्करे: in confusion/mixture (of dharma)
• सङ्करे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सङ्कर
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• अभिरताः: engaged/attached/delighting
• अभिरताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-रम्
• Form: Past passive participle used adjectivally, Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• प्रभो: O lord
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रभु
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Earth (Pṛthivī)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

True dharma is validated by conduct, not by public praise. Those who advertise righteousness while refusing to live by it are condemned as hypocrites who damage moral order.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he warns the listener that mere preaching or reputation is insufficient; he criticizes people who wander about lauding dharma while undermining it through their own behavior.