Mahabharata — Mausala Parva, Shloka 30

अध्याय १: उत्पात-दर्शनम् तथा वृष्णि-विनाश-श्रवणम्

Omens Observed and the Hearing of the Vṛṣṇi Destruction

Devanagari script

सुरासवो न कर्तव्य: सर्वर्नगरवासिभि: । नरेश्वर! राजाकी आज्ञासे उनके सेवकोंने उस लोहचूर्णको समुद्रमें फेंक दिया। फिर उमग्रसेन

Transliteration

surāsavo na kartavyaḥ sarvair nagaravāsibhiḥ | nareśvara |

Translation

Vaiśampāyana said: “O king, no citizen of the city should prepare intoxicating liquor. Let the making of spirits be prohibited for all residents.”

Word by Word

• सुरासवः: liquor/fermented drink
• सुरासवः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सुरासव
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• कर्तव्यः: to be made/done; should be prepared
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कर्तव्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सर्वैः: by all
• सर्वैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Instrumental, Plural

• नगरवासिभिः: by the town-dwellers/citizens
• नगरवासिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: नगरवासिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• nareśvara (the king addressed, i.e., Janamejaya)
• nagara (the city)
• surā
• āsava

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches civic and ethical restraint: intoxicants should be curtailed to protect public order and moral discipline, reflecting the king’s duty to prevent causes of social collapse.

What is happening in the narrative?

A formal prohibition is announced: all city residents are instructed not to prepare surā/āsava (intoxicating drinks), indicating an attempt by authorities to avert impending disorder among the Yādava clans.