Shloka 12

Devanagari script

अभक्षयन्‌ वृथा मांसममांसाशी भवत्युत । दानं ददत्‌ पवित्री स्यादस्वप्नश्न दिवास्वपन्‌,जो मांस नहीं खाता, वह अमांसाशी होता है और जो सदा दान देनेवाला है, वह पवित्र माना जाता है। जो दिनमें नहीं सोता वह सदा जागनेवाला माना जाता है

Transliteration

abhakṣayan vṛthā māṁsam amāṁsāśī bhavaty uta | dānaṁ dadat pavitrī syād asvapnaśn divāsvapan ||

Translation

Bhishma sprach: „Wer kein Fleisch verzehrt, ist in Wahrheit ein Nicht-Fleischesser. Wer fortwährend Gaben spendet, wird geläutert. Und wer am Tage nicht schläft, gilt als immer wach.“

Word by Word

अभक्षयन्not eating

वृथाin vain, uselessly

मांसम्meat

अमांसाशीone who does not eat meat

भवतिbecomes/is

उतand, also

दानम्a gift, charity

ददत्giving

पवित्रीpure, purifying

स्यात्would be / should be

अस्वप्नश्नone who does not sleep (lit. does not eat sleep)

दिवास्वपन्one who sleeps in the daytime

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhishma

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?

Bhishma teaches that ethical refinement is shown through restraint (avoiding meat), generosity (regular giving), and disciplined habits (avoiding daytime sleep), each contributing to purity and steadiness.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma is instructing Yudhishthira on dharma; here he lists practical markers of virtuous living—dietary restraint, charitable conduct, and wakeful discipline.