Shloka 9

उपवासविधि-प्रश्नः

Inquiry into the Discipline of Fasting

Devanagari script

सर्वानर्थ: कुले यत्र जायते पापपूरुष: | अकीर्ति जनयत्येव कीर्तिमन्तर्दधाति च

Transliteration

sarvānarthaḥ kule yatra jāyate pāpapūruṣaḥ | akīrtiṁ janayaty eva kīrtim antardadhāti ca ||

Translation

Bhīṣma sprach: In welcher Familie auch immer ein sündiger Mann geboren wird, wird er zur Quelle allen Unheils. Gewiss erzeugt er Schande und lässt zugleich den guten Ruf des Geschlechts verblassen.

Word by Word

• सर्वानर्थः: total calamity/misfortune
• सर्वानर्थः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वानर्थ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कुले: in the family
• कुले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कुल
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र

• जायते: is born/arises
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Atmanepada

• पापपूरुषः: a sinful man
• पापपूरुषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पापपूरुष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अकीर्तिम्: ill-fame/disgrace
• अकीर्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: अकीर्ति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• जनयति: produces/causes
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (जनयति-प्रयोगः, णिच्)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• कीर्तिम्: fame/glory
• कीर्तिम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: कीर्ति
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• अन्तर्दधाति: hides/causes to disappear
• Type: Verb
• Root: धा (अन्तर् + दधाति)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

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

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• kula (family/lineage)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A single morally corrupt person can become the root of widespread harm for an entire lineage: he actively produces dishonor (akīrti) and obscures established good reputation (kīrti). The verse stresses ethical responsibility because personal vice has collective social consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct. Here he offers a general moral observation about family and society: the birth or rise of a sinful person within a household brings misfortune and tarnishes the family’s standing.