Shloka 18

Śakra–Śambara Saṃvāda: Brāhmaṇa-sevā, Anasūyā, and Vāg-bala (शक्रशम्बरसंवादः)

Devanagari script

परिवादं च ये कुर्युब्रह्मिणानामचेतस: । सत्यं ब्रवीमि ते राजन्‌ विनश्येयुर्न संशय:

Transliteration

parivādaṃ ca ye kuryur brāhmaṇīnām acetasaḥ | satyaṃ bravīmi te rājan vinaśyeyur na saṃśayaḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：大王，我对你说的是真话——凡愚昧之人诽谤婆罗门者，必至毁灭；此事毫无疑问。

Word by Word

• परिवादम्: slander, reviling
• परिवादम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिवाद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

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

• कुर्युः: would do / should do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• ब्राह्मणानाम्: of Brahmins
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• अचेतसः: unthinking, foolish
• अचेतसः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अचेतस्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• सत्यम्: truth
• सत्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्य
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• ब्रवीमि: I say
• Type: Verb
• Root: ब्रू
• Form: Present (Lat), First, Singular, Parasmaipada

• ते: to you
• ते: Sampradana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: युष्मद्
• Form: Dative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• विनश्येयुः: would perish
• Type: Verb
• Root: नश्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

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

• संशयः: doubt
• Type: Noun
• Root: संशय
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• the King (Yudhishthira, implied)
• Brahmins

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches restraint and responsibility in speech: slandering Brahmins (and, by extension, venerable custodians of dharma and learning) is a grave ethical fault that leads to the speaker’s downfall.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anushasana Parva, Bhishma is instructing the king on dharma and proper conduct. Here he warns that those who indulge in defamatory speech against Brahmins inevitably meet ruin, emphasizing the moral and social order the king is to uphold.