Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 15

आचारप्रशंसा

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

Devanagari script

लोष्ठमर्दी तृणच्छेदी नखखादी च यो नर: । नित्योच्छिष्ट: संकुसुको नेहायुर्विन्दते महत्‌

Transliteration

loṣṭamardī tṛṇacchedī nakhakhādī ca yo naraḥ | nityocchiṣṭaḥ saṅkusuko nehāyur vindate mahat ||

Translation

ભીષ્મે કહ્યું—જે ઢેલાં ચૂર કરે, તૃણ તોડે, નખ ચાવે અને સદા ઉચ્છિષ્ટ (અશુદ્ધ) તથા ચંચળ રહે—એવા દુર્લક્ષણવાળા મનુષ્યને આ લોકમાં દીર્ઘાયુ પ્રાપ્ત થતું નથી.

Word by Word

• लोष्ठमर्दी: one who crushes clods/stones
• लोष्ठमर्दी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: लोष्ठ-मर्दिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तृणच्छेदी: one who cuts grass/straw
• तृणच्छेदी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: तृण-छेदिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नखखादी: nail-biter (one who eats nails)
• नखखादी: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नख-खादिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नरः: man, person
• नरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नित्य-उच्छिष्टः: always impure/with leftover food (habitually unclean)
• नित्य-उच्छिष्टः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नित्य-उच्छिष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• संकुसुकः: restless, fidgety (of bad conduct)
• संकुसुकः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संकुसुक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• इह: here, in this world
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• आयुः: life, lifespan
• आयुः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आयुस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• विन्दते: obtains, finds
• Type: Verb
• Root: विद् (विन्दति)
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• महत्: great, long (i.e., long lifespan)
• महत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महत्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• nara (a person/man)
• loṣṭa (clod of earth)
• tṛṇa (grass)
• nakha (nails)
• ucchiṣṭa (leftover/impurity)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Longevity is associated with disciplined, clean, and restrained behavior; compulsive, petty, and impure habits are presented as signs of inner disorder that diminish one’s well-being and lifespan.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma and proper conduct, he lists observable bad habits (crushing clods, snapping grass, nail-biting, remaining in a state of impurity/restlessness) and states their consequence: such a person does not gain long life.