Shloka 23

मांसपरिवर्जन-प्रशंसा (Praise of Abstention from Meat) / Ethics of Ahiṃsā in Diet and Rite

Devanagari script

अन्नमूर्जस्करं लोके दत्त्वोर्जस्वी भवेन्नर: । सतां पन्थानमावृत्य सर्वपापै: प्रमुच्यते,संसारमें अन्न ही बलकी वृद्धि करनेवाला है, अत: अन्नका दान करके मनुष्य बलवान्‌ होता है और सत्पुरुषोंके मार्गका आश्रय लेकर समस्त पापोंसे छूट जाता है

Transliteration

annam ūrjaskaraṃ loke dattvā ūrjasvī bhavennaraḥ | satāṃ panthānam āvṛtya sarvapāpaiḥ pramucyate ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: „In dieser Welt ist es die Speise, die Kraft hervorbringt und vermehrt. Darum wird, wer Speise als Gabe spendet, voller Stärke; und wer Zuflucht nimmt zum Pfad der Tugendhaften, wird von allen Sünden befreit.“

Word by Word

अन्नम्food

ऊर्जस्करम्strength-producing

लोकेin the world

दत्त्वाhaving given

ऊर्जस्वीvigorous, strong

भवेत्would become / becomes (by injunction)

नरःa man

सताम्of the good (people)

पन्थानम्path, way

आवृत्यhaving followed / having resorted to

सर्वपापैःfrom all sins

प्रमुच्यतेis freed / is released

Speaker

युधिछ्िर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

anna (food)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Food-giving (anna-dāna) is praised as a powerful ethical act that increases one’s vitality and merit; coupled with following the conduct of the virtuous, it leads to freedom from sin.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction-focused discourse on dharma and gifts, Yudhiṣṭhira articulates the value of donating food and aligning oneself with the righteous path.