Shloka 3

Vipulopākhyāna—Ruci-rakṣā and Śakra’s Māyā (विपुलोपाख्यानम्—रुचिरक्षणं शक्रमाया च)

Devanagari script

अपीडयन्‌ भूत्यवर्गमित्येवमनुशुश्रुम । पीडयन्‌ भृत्यवर्ग हि आत्मानमपकर्षति

Transliteration

apīḍayan bhṛtyavargam ity evam anuśuśruma | pīḍayan bhṛtyavargaṁ hi ātmānam apakarṣati ||

Translation

毗湿摩曰：“我等如是闻：施与之时，当不令所养之人受苦。若有人为行布施而虐待家眷与依附者——夺其所需，使其受饥受苦——则实乃自贬其身，自取沉沦。”

Word by Word

• अपीडयन्: not afflicting / without troubling
• अपीडयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड् (पीडयति)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भृत्य-वर्गम्: the group of dependents/servants
• भृत्य-वर्गम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृत्य + वर्ग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• एवम्: in this manner
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एवम्

• अनुशुश्रुम: we have heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (शृणोति)
• Form: Perfect (लिट्), 1st, Plural

• पीडयन्: afflicting / troubling
• पीडयन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: पीड् (पीडयति)
• Form: शतृ-प्रत्यय (वर्तमान कृदन्त), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भृत्य-वर्गम्: the group of dependents/servants
• भृत्य-वर्गम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भृत्य + वर्ग
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• हि: indeed / for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• आत्मानम्: oneself
• आत्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• अपकर्षति: drags down / degrades
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृष् (कर्षति) with अप-
• Form: Present (लट्), 3rd, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Charity must not be performed by harming those one is obligated to support; giving that causes suffering to one’s dependents becomes ethically self-degrading rather than meritorious.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he cites a traditional maxim: a donor should give in a way that does not oppress the household or dependents, warning that such oppressive giving leads to the donor’s moral downfall.