Shloka 21

Prāyaścitta-vidhāna: Tapas, Dāna, Vrata, and Proportional Expiation (प्रायश्चित्तविधानम्)

Devanagari script

अनड्वान्‌ मृत्तिका चैव तथा क्षुद्रपिपीलिका: । श्लेष्मातकस्तथा विप्रैरभक्ष्यं विषमेव च,“बैल, मिट्टी, छोटी-छोटी चीटियाँ, श्लेष्मातकः (लसोड़ा) और विष--ये सब ब्राह्मणोंके लिये अभक्ष्य हैं

Transliteration

anaḍvān mṛttikā caiva tathā kṣudra-pipīlikāḥ | śleṣmātakas tathā viprair abhakṣyaṃ viṣam eva ca ||

Translation

ವ್ಯಾಸನು ಹೇಳಿದರು—ಎತ್ತು, ಮಣ್ಣು, ಸಣ್ಣ ಸಣ್ಣ ಇರುವೆಗಳು, ಶ್ಲೇಷ್ಮಾತಕ (ಲಸೋಡಾ) ಹಣ್ಣು, ಮತ್ತು ವಿಷ—ಇವೆಲ್ಲವೂ ಬ್ರಾಹ್ಮಣರಿಗೆ ಅಭಕ್ಷ್ಯ.

Word by Word

अनड्वान्bull/ox

मृत्तिकाclay/earth

चand

एवindeed/just

तथाlikewise/also

क्षुद्रपिपीलिकाःtiny ants

श्लेष्मातकःthe śleṣmātaka tree/fruit (lasoḍā)

तथाlikewise/also

विप्रैःby/for brahmins

अभक्ष्यम्not fit to be eaten/inedible

विषम्poison

एवindeed/just

चand

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

brāhmaṇas (vipra)

anaḍvān (ox)

mṛttikā (clay/earth)

pipīlikā (ants)

śleṣmātaka (lasoḍā fruit/tree)

viṣa (poison)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that dharma includes disciplined restraint in food: certain items are categorically ‘abhakṣya’ (unfit to eat) for brāhmaṇas, either due to harm, impurity, or incompatibility with their prescribed conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vyāsa is listing items considered forbidden as food for brāhmaṇas, as part of a broader instruction on proper conduct (ācāra) and ethical living in the Śānti Parva.