Shloka 8
अबुद्धिपूर्वकपापविमोचनप्रश्नः — Janamejaya’s Unintended Transgression and the Indrota Rebuke
Devanagari script
यो हि वच्िद् द्विज॑ हन्याद् गांच लोकस्य मातरम्
Transliteration
yo hi kaścid dvija hanyād gāṁ lokasya mātaram
Translation
毗湿摩说道：“若有任何二生者（婆罗门等）杀害母牛——世间之母——便是犯下极重之罪；因为在达摩之中，母牛被奉为普施利益的恩者，也是应当护佑无辜者之象征。”
Word by Word
यःwho
यः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootयद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
हिindeed/for
हि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootहि
कश्चित्someone/anyone
कश्चित्:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootक (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक) + चित् (अव्यय)
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
द्विजम्a twice-born (brahmin etc.)
द्विजम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootद्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Accusative, Singular
हन्यात्should kill/might kill
हन्यात्:
TypeVerb
Rootहन् (धातु)
FormOptative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
गाम्a cow
गाम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootगो (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
लोकस्यof the world/people
लोकस्य:
TypeNoun
Rootलोक (प्रातिपदिक)
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
मातरम्mother
मातरम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootमातृ (प्रातिपदिक)
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhīṣmaD
dvijaC
cow (go/gā)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
War Context
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse underscores the ethical gravity of harming a cow, portraying her as “mother of the world,” and thus frames cow-protection as a significant duty within dharma, especially for the dvija who is expected to embody restraint and righteousness.
In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and conduct; here he emphasizes the serious moral fault incurred by killing a cow, using the epithet “mother of the world” to heighten the injunction.