Shloka 13
Jñāna-yoga and Karma-phala: Manu–Bṛhaspati on Akṣara and the Limits of Mantra
लोष्टमर्दा तृणच्छेदी नखखादी तु यो नरः । नित्योच्छिष्ट: शंकुशुको नेहायुर्विन्दते महत्
loṣṭamardā tṛṇacchedī nakhakhādī tu yo naraḥ | nityocchiṣṭaḥ śaṅkuśuko nehāyur vindate mahat ||
قال بهيشما: إن الرجل الذي يعبث فيسحق كُتَلَ التراب، ويكسر نِصالَ العشب، ويقضم أظفاره؛ والذي يلازم النجاسة—يداه وفمه غير طاهرين على الدوام—ويعيش معتمدًا على غيره كالببغاء المربوط إلى وتد، لا ينال طول العمر في هذا العالم.
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
Bhishma warns that habitual restlessness (idle destructive fidgeting), lack of cleanliness (being constantly ucchiṣṭa/impure), and a dependent, unfree mode of life (like a tethered parrot) undermine one’s vitality and do not lead to long life. The verse promotes śauca (purity), self-control, and dignified independence as supports of well-being.
In the Shanti Parva’s instruction on dharma and right conduct, Bhishma continues advising Yudhishthira by listing behaviors and dispositions that are considered inauspicious for longevity. This verse presents a compact behavioral portrait—fidgeting, nail-biting, habitual impurity, and servile dependence—and states its consequence: diminished lifespan.