Shloka 5

Brāhmaṇa-pūjā and Namaskāra: Criteria of Reverence and Non-Offense (ब्राह्मणपूजा-नमस्कारविधिः)

Devanagari script

आमिषं शीर्षतो यस्य पादतो यश्च संविशेत्‌ । तत उच्छिष्टका: सर्वे बहुच्छिद्राक्ष मानवा:

Transliteration

āmiṣaṁ śīrṣato yasya pādato yaś ca saṁviśet | tata ucchiṣṭakāḥ sarve bahucchidrakṣa mānavāḥ ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dit : «Ceux qui portent de la viande sur la tête, ou qui s’étendent en plaçant leurs pieds là où devrait reposer la tête, tous sont tenus pour “ucchiṣṭa” (souillés rituellement, tels des restes), et pour des hommes marqués de multiples “ouvertures” (c’est-à-dire des vulnérabilités impures).»

Word by Word

• {'āmiṣam (आमिषम्)': 'meat

• also ‘bait’ in other contexts, here meat as impure food', 'śīrṣataḥ (शीर्षतः)': 'upon/at the head

• from the head-side', 'yasya (यस्य)': 'of whom

• whose', 'pādataḥ (पादतः)': 'at the feet

• from the foot-side', 'yaḥ (यः)': 'who', 'ca (च)': 'and', 'saṁviśet (संविशेत्)': 'would lie down

• enter into a lying posture', 'tataḥ (ततः)': 'therefore

• as a result', 'ucchiṣṭakāḥ (उच्छिष्टकाः)': 'those who are like ‘leftovers’

• ritually defiled/tainted persons', 'sarve (सर्वे)': 'all', 'bahu (बहु)': 'many

• much', 'chidra (छिद्र)': 'hole

• defect', 'akṣa (अक्ष)': 'eye

• in compounds can suggest ‘organ/mark’', 'mānavāḥ (मानवाः)': 'human beings

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma emphasizes that dharma is upheld not only by grand vows but also by everyday discipline—especially in food and bodily conduct. Actions that invert or disrespect norms of cleanliness and propriety are treated as signs of inner disorder and ethical decline.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma is delivering didactic guidance on right conduct. Here he lists behaviors he deems impure or degrading, using vivid examples (carrying meat on the head; sleeping with feet where the head should be) to classify such people as ‘ucchiṣṭa’—ritually tainted.