Shloka 15

आचारप्रशंसा

Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity

Devanagari script

लोष्ठमर्दी तृणच्छेदी नखखादी च यो नर: । नित्योच्छिष्ट: संकुसुको नेहायुर्विन्दते महत्‌

Transliteration

loṣṭamardī tṛṇacchedī nakhakhādī ca yo naraḥ | nityocchiṣṭaḥ saṅkusuko nehāyur vindate mahat ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: Ein Mann, der gewohnheitsmäßig Erdklumpen zerdrückt, Grashalme abknickt, an den Nägeln kaut und ständig unrein bleibt, weil er Reste isst—ruhelos und zappelig im Verhalten—erlangt in dieser Welt kein langes Leben.

Word by Word

• लोष्ठमर्दी: one who crushes clods/stones
• लोष्ठमर्दी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोष्ठ-मर्दिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तृणच्छेदी: one who cuts grass/straw
• तृणच्छेदी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृण-छेदिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नखखादी: nail-biter (one who eats nails)
• नखखादी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नख-खादिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नरः: man, person
• नरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नित्य-उच्छिष्टः: always impure/with leftover food (habitually unclean)
• नित्य-उच्छिष्टः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य-उच्छिष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• संकुसुकः: restless, fidgety (of bad conduct)
• संकुसुकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संकुसुक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• इह: here, in this world
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• आयुः: life, lifespan
• आयुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विन्दते: obtains, finds
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (विन्दति)
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• महत्: great, long (i.e., long lifespan)
• महत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• nara (a person/man)
• loṣṭa (clod of earth)
• tṛṇa (grass)
• nakha (nails)
• ucchiṣṭa (leftover/impurity)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Longevity is associated with disciplined, clean, and restrained behavior; compulsive, petty, and impure habits are presented as signs of inner disorder that diminish one’s well-being and lifespan.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma and proper conduct, he lists observable bad habits (crushing clods, snapping grass, nail-biting, remaining in a state of impurity/restlessness) and states their consequence: such a person does not gain long life.