न बलं क्षत्रियस्याहुर्ब्राह्मणो बलवत्तर:। ब्रह्मन् ब्रह्मबलं दिव्यं क्षत्रात्तु बलवत्तरम्।।1.54.13।।
Meaning
They do not say a kshatriya's strength is greater; a brahmin is mightier — brahmin, the divine power of a brahmin is mightier than a kshatriya's.
Word-by-word (pada-artha)
| Word | Devanagari | Meaning | Grammatical role |
|---|---|---|---|
| na balam kṣatriyasya āhuḥ | न बलम् क्षत्रियस्य आहुः | they say the might of a Kshatriya is not [true might] | Negation / Nominative / Genitive / Verb (perfect) |
| brāhmaṇaḥ balavat-taraḥ | ब्राह्मणः बलवत्-तरः | a Brahmin is more mighty | Nominative singular (x2) |
| brahman brahma-balam divyam | ब्रह्मन् ब्रह्म-बलम् दिव्यम् | O Brahmin, the divine power of Brahmins | Vocative / Nominative / Nominative |
| kṣatrāt tu balavattaram | क्षत्रात् तु बलवत्तरम् | is more mighty than that of the Kshatriya class | Ablative / Adverbial / Nominative |
Scholar commentary
valmikiramayan.net Prose Commentary
Desiraju Hanumanta Rao's prose rendering with embedded explanatory notes
The source cites a dk gloss observing that Vishvamitra, though all-dharma-knowing, let avarice override scripture here, and quotes the Bodhayana Sutra directly: na tu eva kadaacit svayam raajaa brahmaNasva adadiita -- 'a king should never himself take a brahmin's possession' -- adding the proverb na viSham viSham iti aahuH brahmasvam viSham ucyate | brahmasvam putra pautra ghnam viSham ekaakinam haret -- 'they do not call poison mere poison; a brahmin's wealth is called poison, for while poison kills only the one who consumes it, a brahmin's wealth, if seized, destroys the seizer's sons and grandsons as well.'
1 of 16 traditions have commentary on this shloka. Traditions without a verse-specific commentary here are omitted rather than filled in.
Reference: 1.54.13 · Bāla Kāṇḍa