Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 45

आचारप्रशंसा

Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity

Devanagari script

उदड़्मुखश्नव सततं शौचं कुर्यात्‌ समाहित:

Transliteration

udaṅmukhaḥ snānaṃ satataṃ śaucaṃ kuryāt samāhitaḥ

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : Qu’on se baigne régulièrement en faisant face au nord et, l’esprit recueilli et attentif, qu’on maintienne sans cesse la pureté—dans la conduite comme dans la propreté du corps.

Word by Word

• उदङ्मुखः: facing north (having face turned north)
• उदङ्मुखः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उदङ्मुख
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्नानम्: bathing
• स्नानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्नान
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सततम्: always, constantly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत

• शौचम्: purity, cleanliness
• शौचम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: शौच
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• कुर्यात्: should do / should perform
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• समाहितः: collected, composed, attentive
• समाहितः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: समाहित
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches disciplined purity: regular bathing and sustained śauca (cleanliness and moral purity) practiced with a focused, composed mind.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma continues instructing on dharma and proper conduct, giving practical observances—here emphasizing bathing and maintaining purity as part of ethical and ritual discipline.