Shloka 27

Śreyas-nirdeśa (Discerning the Superior Good): Nārada–Gālava Saṃvāda

Devanagari script

यो न हिंसति सत्त्वानि मनोवाक्कर्महेतुभि:

Transliteration

yo na hiṃsati sattvāni manovākkarmahetubhiḥ

Translation

毗湿摩说：凡不以心念之冲动、不以言语、亦不以身行去伤害众生者，便是将不害（ahimsa）作为圆满的伦理修持而体现出来，而非仅止于外在的克制。

Word by Word

• यः: who (he who)
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न (निषेध-अव्यय)

• हिंसति: harms, injures
• Type: Verb
• Root: हिंस् (धातु)
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• सत्त्वानि: living beings
• सत्त्वानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: सत्त्व (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• मनः: by mind
• मनः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• वाक्: by speech
• वाक्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वाच् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Instrumental, Singular

• कर्म: by action/deed
• कर्म: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कर्मन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• हेतुभिः: by means/causes
• हेतुभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: हेतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• sattvāni (living beings)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Ahimsa is threefold and complete only when it is upheld in intention (mind), expression (speech), and conduct (action). Ethical purity is measured not just by what one does, but also by what one wills and says.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s dharma instruction, Bhīṣma continues advising on righteous conduct, emphasizing non-violence as a foundational virtue that must govern inner motives, spoken words, and outward deeds.