Shloka 12

Devanagari script

विशीला भिजन्नमर्यादा नित्यं संकीर्णमैथुना: । अल्पायुषो भवन्तीह नरा निरयगामिन:,जो मनुष्य शीलहीन, सदा धर्मकी मर्यादा भंग करनेवाले तथा दूसरे वर्णकी स्त्रियोंके साथ सम्पर्क रखनेवाले हैं; वे इस लोकमें अल्पायु होते और मरनेके बाद नरकमें पड़ते हैं

Transliteration

viśīlā bhijannamaryādā nityaṁ saṅkīrṇa-maithunāḥ | alpāyuṣo bhavantīha narā niraya-gāminaḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: Men who are devoid of good conduct, who continually violate the bounds of dharma, and who habitually engage in illicit sexual relations (mixing across forbidden boundaries) become short-lived in this world; and after death they proceed to hell.

Word by Word

• विशीलाः: of bad conduct, characterless
• विशीलाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: विशील (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भिन्नमर्यादाः: those whose bounds/limits are broken; transgressing propriety
• भिन्नमर्यादाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: भिन्नमर्यादा (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• नित्यम्: always
• नित्यम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्यम्

• संकीर्णमैथुनाः: those engaged in promiscuous/illicit sexual relations
• संकीर्णमैथुनाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संकीर्णमैथुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• अल्पायुषः: short-lived
• अल्पायुषः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्पायु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• भवन्ति: become/are
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• इह: here (in this world)
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• नराः: men
• नराः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• निरयगामिनः: hell-going; destined for hell
• निरयगामिनः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निरयगामिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that abandoning good conduct, repeatedly transgressing dharmic boundaries, and indulging in illicit sexual relations leads to harm in this life (shortened lifespan) and adverse results after death (a fall into hell).

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma is instructing Yudhishthira on dharma and proper conduct. Here he warns about the moral and karmic consequences of habitual transgression, especially in matters of sexual discipline and social-religious boundaries.