Shloka 82
ब्राह्मणस्य पूर्वतरा वृत्तिः — The Earlier Ideal Conduct of a Brahmana
River-of-Saṃsāra Metaphor
Devanagari script
अयं स पुरुष: श्यामो लोकस्य दुरतिक्रम:
Transliteration
ayaṃ sa puruṣaḥ śyāmo lokasya duratikramaḥ
Translation
毗湿摩说道：“此人本身，形色黝黑，乃世间不可逾越者——一种不可超越、不可触犯的力量；在他面前，凡俗的界限与人间的尺度尽皆失效。”
Word by Word
अयम्this (man)
अयम्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootइदम्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
सःthat/he
सः:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootतद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
पुरुषःman, person
पुरुषः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootपुरुष
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
श्यामःdark, dusky
श्यामः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootश्याम
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
लोकस्यof the world/people
लोकस्य:
Adhikarana
TypeNoun
Rootलोक
FormMasculine, Genitive, Singular
दुरतिक्रमःhard to surpass/overstep
दुरतिक्रमः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootदुरतिक्रम
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhīṣmaP
puruṣa (the Person)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 asserts the unsurpassable status of the ‘Puruṣa’: a reality so authoritative and foundational that the world cannot ‘cross’ or override him—implying that dharma and ethical order ultimately rest on a higher, inviolable principle.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction, Bhīṣma is describing a transcendent figure—identified by dark hue and by being ‘duratikrama’—to emphasize to the listener that there exists a supreme, unassailable ground of order beyond ordinary human power.