Shloka 23

Śānti-parva Adhyāya 30: Nārada–Parvata Samaya-bhaṅga, Śāpa, and the Marriage of Sukumārī

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मचारी गुरुर्यस्मात्‌ तपस्वी ब्राह्मणश्व॒ सन्‌

Transliteration

brahmacārī gurur yasmāt tapasyī brāhmaṇaś ca san, āp brahmacārī, mere gurujana, tapassvī aur brāhmaṇa haiṃ to bhī āpane hamlogoṃ meṃ jo śarta huī thī, use toṛ diyā hai; isaliye maiṃ atyanta kupita hokara āpako jo śāpa de rahā hūṃ use suniye—

Translation

奎师那说道：“纵然你是梵行者，是我所敬的师长，是苦行者，又是婆罗门，你仍旧破坏了我俩之间所立的条件。故我怒火炽盛，且听我如今对你宣下的诅咒。”

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मचारी: a celibate student (brahmacārin)
• ब्रह्मचारी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचारिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• गुरुः: teacher, preceptor
• गुरुः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: गुरु
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यस्मात्: because (from which/whence)
• यस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• तपस्वी: ascetic, one practicing austerity
• तपस्वी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्विन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• सन्: being
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present active participle, Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

श्रीकृष्ण उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Śrī Kṛṣṇa
• guru (unnamed)
• brāhmaṇa (as a status/identity)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Moral status—being a brahmacārī, guru, tapasvī, or brāhmaṇa—does not excuse violating an agreed condition. Ethical accountability applies even to the revered, and breach of a pact invites serious consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

Kṛṣṇa addresses a respected teacher-ascetic who has broken a prior stipulation made between them. Feeling deeply wronged, Kṛṣṇa announces that he will pronounce a curse and asks the other to listen.