संस्कृतIASTअर्थ
नानृतं मया प्रोक्तं भविता इदम्nānṛtaṃ mayā proktaṃ bhavitā idamnothing false has been spoken by me — this [curse] will come to pass
यत् वक्ष्यामि ते वाक्यं शृणु तत्yat vakṣyāmi te vākyaṃ śṛṇu tatbut listen to the word that I shall speak to you
उत्पत्स्यति रुरुः नाम प्रमतेः आत्मजः शुचिःutpatsyati ruruḥ nāma pramateḥ ātmajaḥ śuciḥa pure [-souled] son of Pramati named Ruru will be born
तं दृष्ट्वा शाप-मोक्षः ते भविता न चिरात्taṃ dṛṣṭvā śāpa-mokṣaḥ te bhavitā na cirātseeing him, you will soon be freed from the curse
स्वरूपं प्रतिलभ्य अद्य वक्ष्यामि ते हितम्svarūpaṃ pratilabhya adya vakṣyāmi te hitamhaving now regained my [true] form, I shall tell you what is good
अहिंसा परमः धर्मः सर्व-प्राण-भृतांahiṃsā paramaḥ dharmaḥ sarva-prāṇa-bhṛtāṃnonviolence is the highest dharma for all living beings
तस्मात् ब्राह्मणः सर्वान् प्राण-भृतः न हिंस्यात् क्व चित्tasmāt brāhmaṇaḥ sarvān prāṇa-bhṛtaḥ na hiṃsyāt kva cittherefore a brahmin must never harm any living creature, in any way
ब्राह्मणः सौम्यः एव जायते इति परा श्रुतिःbrāhmaṇaḥ saumyaḥ eva jāyate iti parā śrutiḥ'a brahmin is born gentle' — [so declares] the supreme utterance of the Veda
वेद-वेदाङ्ग-वित् सर्व-भूत-अभय-प्रदःveda-vedāṅga-vit sarva-bhūta-abhaya-pradaḥknower of the Vedas and Vedāṅgas, giver of fearlessness to all beings
तुtuoriginal form "tu", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तन्tanoriginal form "tan", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
मेmeoriginal form "me", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
धृतव्रतdhṛtavrataoriginal form "dhṛtavrata", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
श्रुत्वाśrutvāoriginal form "śrutvā", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
चcaoriginal form "ca", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हृदिhṛdioriginal form "hṛdi", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वाक्यम्vākyamoriginal form "vākyam", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
अस्तुastuoriginal form "astu", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तपोधनtapodhanaoriginal form "tapodhana", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
रुरुर्rururoriginal form "rurur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रमतेर्pramateroriginal form "pramater", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शापमोक्षस्śāpamokṣasoriginal form "śāpamokṣas", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
नचिराद्nacirādoriginal form "nacirād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
इवivaoriginal form "iva", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सsaoriginal form "sa", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
त्वंtvaṃoriginal form "tvaṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
रुरुर्rururoriginal form "rurur", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
ख्यातःkhyātaḥoriginal form "khyātaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रमतेर्pramateroriginal form "pramater", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
आत्मजःātmajaḥoriginal form "ātmajaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
शुचिःśuciḥoriginal form "śuciḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्रतिलभ्याहम्pratilabhyāhamoriginal form "pratilabhyāham", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तेteoriginal form "te", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
परमोparamooriginal form "paramo", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वप्राणभृतांsarvaprāṇabhṛtāṃoriginal form "sarvaprāṇabhṛtāṃ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
स्मृतःsmṛtaḥoriginal form "smṛtaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
प्राणभृतःprāṇabhṛtaḥoriginal form "prāṇabhṛtaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
हिंस्याद्hiṃsyādoriginal form "hiṃsyād", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सौम्यsaumyaoriginal form "saumya", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
एवेहevehaoriginal form "eveha", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
जायतेतिjāyatetioriginal form "jāyateti", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
वेदवेदाङ्गवित्vedavedāṅgavitoriginal form "vedavedāṅgavit", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
तातtātaoriginal form "tāta", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
सर्वभूताभयप्रदःsarvabhūtābhayapradaḥoriginal form "sarvabhūtābhayapradaḥ", added to complete the word-by-word coverage
Having regained his true form, the sage Sahasrapāt now proclaims the very heart of brahminical dharma: ahiṃsā paramo dharmaḥ — "nonviolence is the highest dharma." This great maxim, repeated throughout the Mahābhārata, affirms the sanctity of all life, for in every being dwells the soul, a fragment of the Lord. A brahmin, by the very word of the Veda, "is born gentle" — his calling is not to punish but to grant fearlessness (abhaya) to all beings. Scripture thus defines the highest purpose of the person of spirit: to be a refuge and a protector, not a source of fear. That Sahasrapāt's own release from the curse comes precisely through meeting the righteous Ruru shows that grace and the company of the saintly (sādhu-saṅga) dissolve the bonds of karma. Granting fearlessness to all beings marks the true devotee: one devoted to the Lord bears enmity toward none and becomes a friend to all living creatures (suhṛdaṃ sarva-bhūtānām). Nonviolence here is not merely a prohibition against killing, but a positive love and care for all that lives, flowing from a heart established in God.