Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 67
आचारप्रशंसा
Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity
Devanagari script
स्वप्तव्यं नैव नग्नेन न चोच्छिष्टोडपि संविशेत्
Transliteration
svaptavyaṃ naiva nagnena na cocchiṣṭo 'pi saṃviśet
Translation
भीष्म ने कहा—नग्न होकर शयन न करे और उच्छिष्ट (जूठी/अशुद्ध) अवस्था में भी लेटकर विश्राम न करे। यह नियम देह-संयम और नित्य-शौच का उपदेश देता है।
Word by Word
स्वप्तव्यम्should be slept (one should sleep)
स्वप्तव्यम्:
Karma
TypeVerb
Rootस्वप् (धातु)
Formतव्यत्, कर्मणि/भावे (कर्तरि-प्रयोगार्थे विधेयता), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
नnot
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
एवindeed/at all
एव:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएव
नग्नेनby/while being naked
नग्नेन:
Karana
TypeAdjective
Rootनग्न (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन
नnor/not
न:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootन
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
उच्छिष्टःimpure (with leftover food/unclean)
उच्छिष्टः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootउच्छिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन
अपिeven/also
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
संविशेत्should lie down/should go to bed
संविशेत्:
TypeVerb
Rootसम् + विश् (धातु)
Formविधिलिङ्, optative (injunctive/should), प्रथम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhīṣmaCharacter Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Maintain personal discipline and purity: do not sleep naked, and do not lie down while still ‘ucchiṣṭa’ (uncleansed after eating). Everyday bodily habits are treated as part of dharma and ethical self-governance.
In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma through practical rules of conduct (ācāra). This verse is one such injunction concerning proper behavior related to sleep and post-meal cleanliness.