Mahabharata 3.2.40 — Vana Parva, Adhyaya 2, Shloka 40

ब्राह्मणानुयात्रा—शौनकोपदेशः

Brāhmaṇas Follow into Exile and Śaunaka’s Instruction

Devanagari script

यथा ह्यामिषमाकाशे पक्षिश्रि: श्वापदैर्भुवि । भक्ष्यते सलिले मत्स्यैस्तथा सर्वत्र वित्तवान्‌

Transliteration

yathā hy āmiṣam ākāśe pakṣiśriḥ śvāpadair bhuvi | bhakṣyate salile matsyais tathā sarvatra vittavān ||

Translation

ໄວສັມປາຍະນະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ດັ່ງຊິ້ນເນື້ອທີ່ຖືກນົກໃນອາກາດຈັບກິນ, ຖືກສັດດຸຮ້າຍໃນພື້ນດິນກັດກິນ, ແລະຖືກປາໃນນ້ຳກິນ—ສັນໃດກໍສັນນັ້ນ, ຜູ້ມີຊັບຖືກຄົນທຸກທິດທຸກທາງຮຸກຮານ ແລະຊອກຫາຜົນປະໂຫຍດຈາກເຂົາຢູ່ເລື້ອຍໆ».

Word by Word

• यथा: just as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• हि: indeed
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• आमिषम्: meat, flesh
• आमिषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आमिष
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आकाशे: in the sky
• आकाशे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आकाश
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• पक्षिभिः: by birds
• पक्षिभिः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पक्षिन्
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• श्वापदैः: by beasts/predators
• श्वापदैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: श्वापद
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• भुवि: on the earth
• भुवि: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: भू
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• भक्ष्यते: is eaten/devoured
• Type: Verb
• Root: भक्ष्
• Form: Present, Passive, Third, Singular

• सलिले: in water
• सलिले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: सलिल
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• मत्स्यैः: by fishes
• मत्स्यैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• तथा: so, likewise
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• सर्वत्र: everywhere
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वत्र

• वित्तवान्: wealthy (man)
• वित्तवान्: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वित्तवत्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vaiśampāyana
• birds (pakṣi)
• beasts/predators (śvāpada)
• fish (matsya)
• flesh/meat (āmiṣa)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Wealth functions like bait: it draws attention and exploitation from all directions. The ethical lesson is to handle riches with vigilance, restraint, and dharmic discernment, recognizing that possessions can invite danger and manipulation.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana delivers a proverbial comparison within the Vana Parva discourse, using a vivid natural image—meat being devoured by creatures of sky, land, and water—to comment on how society often treats a wealthy person as a target for constant taking.