SanskritIASTMeaning
अहिंसा सत्य-वचनं क्षमा च ब्राह्मणस्य परः धर्मःahiṃsā satya-vacanaṃ kṣamā ca brāhmaṇasya paraḥ dharmaḥnonviolence, truthful speech, and forbearance are the highest dharma of the brahmin
वेदानां धरणात् अपिvedānāṃ dharaṇāt apihigher even than the keeping of the Vedas [in memory]
क्षत्रियस्य यः धर्मः सः न इह इष्यति तवkṣatriyasya yaḥ dharmaḥ saḥ na iha iṣyati tavathe dharma of the kshatriya — it does not befit you here
दण्ड-धारणम् उग्रत्वं प्रजानां परिपालनम्daṇḍa-dhāraṇam ugratvaṃ prajānāṃ paripālanamthe bearing of the rod [of punishment], sternness, protection of subjects
तत् क्षत्रियस्य कर्म आसीत् शृणु मेtat kṣatriyasya karma āsīt śṛṇu mesuch was the deed of the kshatriya — listen to me
जनमेजयस्य सर्पाणां हिंसनं पुराjanamejayasya sarpāṇāṃ hiṃsanaṃ purāonce — the slaughter of the serpents by Janamejaya
परित्राणं भीतानां सर्पाणां ब्राह्मणात्paritrāṇaṃ bhītānāṃ sarpāṇāṃ brāhmaṇātbut the deliverance of the terrified serpents [came] from a brahmin
तपो-वीर्य-बल-उपेतात् वेद-वेदाङ्ग-पारगात्tapo-vīrya-bala-upetāt veda-vedāṅga-pāragātendowed with the power of austerity, versed in the Vedas and Vedāṅgas
आस्तीकात् द्विज-मुख्यात् सर्प-सत्रेāstīkāt dvija-mukhyāt sarpa-satrefrom Āstīka, foremost of the twice-born, at the serpent sacrifice
सत्यवचनंsatyavacanaṃoriginal form "satyavacanaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चेतिcetioriginal form "ceti", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
विनिश्चितम्viniścitamoriginal form "viniścitam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
परोparooriginal form "paro", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धर्मोdharmooriginal form "dharmo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धरणाद्dharaṇādoriginal form "dharaṇād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तुtuoriginal form "tu", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
योyooriginal form "yo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नेहेष्यतिneheṣyatioriginal form "neheṣyati", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वैvaioriginal form "vai", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
दण्डधारणम्daṇḍadhāraṇamoriginal form "daṇḍadhāraṇam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तद्tadoriginal form "tad", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इदंidaṃoriginal form "idaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
क्षत्रियस्यासीत्kṣatriyasyāsītoriginal form "kṣatriyasyāsīt", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वैvaioriginal form "vai", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
रुरोrurooriginal form "ruro", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धर्मात्मन्dharmātmanoriginal form "dharmātman", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ब्राह्मणाद्brāhmaṇādoriginal form "brāhmaṇād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अपिapioriginal form "api", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तपोवीर्यबलोपेताद्tapovīryabalopetādoriginal form "tapovīryabalopetād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वेदवेदाङ्गपारगात्vedavedāṅgapāragātoriginal form "vedavedāṅgapāragāt", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आस्तीकाद्āstīkādoriginal form "āstīkād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
द्विजमुख्याद्dvijamukhyādoriginal form "dvijamukhyād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वैvaioriginal form "vai", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्पसत्रेsarpasatreoriginal form "sarpasatre", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
द्विजोत्तमdvijottamaoriginal form "dvijottama", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Concluding his instruction, Sahasrapāt distinguishes the dharmas of brahmin and kshatriya — a foundational principle of varṇāśrama. The brahmin is called to nonviolence, truthfulness, and forbearance, placed above even learning — "higher than the keeping of the Vedas"; the kshatriya, meanwhile, is called to the rod of punishment, sternness, and the protection of subjects. Scripture thus teaches that virtue is defined by one's calling (svadharma): what is duty for one is sin for another. Ruru, a brahmin, must not claim for himself the kshatriya's right to punish — to slay serpents is not his dharma. Striking is the contrast of two figures: the kshatriya king Janamejaya slaughters serpents at his sacrifice, while the brahmin Āstīka saves them — and saving, an act of mercy, is set above slaughter. Here Sahasrapāt points ahead to the great tale of Āstīka, toward which the whole frame of the Ādi-parva leads. In Āstīka, delivering the doomed by the power of his purity, one glimpses the figure of the devotee-intercessor, whose compassion and spiritual strength turn back destruction. Thus the teaching on svadharma flows naturally into the story of mercy's triumph over retribution.