Shloka 4

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

Devanagari script

प्रमथा ऊचु. मैथुनेन सदोच्छिष्टा: कृते चैवाधरोत्तरे मोहान्मांसानि खादेत वृक्षमूले च यः स्वपेत्‌

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | pramathā ūcuḥ | maithunena sadocchiṣṭāḥ kṛte caivādharottare mohān māṃsāni khādet vṛkṣamūle ca yaḥ svapet |

Translation

ପ୍ରମଥମାନେ କହିଲେ—ଯେମାନେ ମୈଥୁନାସକ୍ତିରେ ସଦା କଳୁଷିତ ରହନ୍ତି, ଯେମାନେ ଆଚରଣରେ ଉଚ୍ଚ-ନୀଚକୁ ଓଲଟାଇଦିଅନ୍ତି (ଅର୍ଥାତ୍ ବଡ଼ମାନଙ୍କୁ ଅବମାନ କରନ୍ତି), ଯେମାନେ ମୋହବଶେ ମାଂସ ଭକ୍ଷଣ କରନ୍ତି, ଏବଂ ଯେମାନେ ବୃକ୍ଷମୂଳେ ଶୟନ କରନ୍ତି—ଏପରି ମନୁଷ୍ୟମାନେ ଆମ ଦୃଷ୍ଟିରେ ଉଚ୍ଛିଷ୍ଟ-ତୁଲ୍ୟ ଅଶୁଚି ଓ ଅନେକ ଦୋଷରେ ଯୁକ୍ତ; ସେମାନେ ଭକ୍ଷଣ ଓ ବଧର ଯୋଗ୍ୟ—ଏଥିରେ ସନ୍ଦେହ ନାହିଁ।

Word by Word

• प्रमथाः: the Pramathas (attendants of Rudra)
• प्रमथाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: प्रमथ (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ऊचुः: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Liṭ), 3rd, Plural

• मैथुनेन: by sexual intercourse
• मैथुनेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैथुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• उच्छिष्टाः: impure; defiled
• उच्छिष्टाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उच्छिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• कृते: when done; in the act done
• कृते: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: कृत (कृ-धातु, क्त-प्रत्यय; कृदन्त)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

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

• एव: indeed; just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• अधरोत्तरे: in lower and higher (persons); among inferiors and superiors
• अधरोत्तरे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अधर-उत्तर (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Dual

• मोहात्: from delusion; out of folly
• मोहात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• मांसानि: meats; flesh
• मांसानि: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Plural

• खादेत्: should eat / would eat
• Type: Verb
• Root: खाद् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-liṅ), 3rd, Singular

• वृक्ष-मूले: at the root of a tree
• वृक्ष-मूले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वृक्ष-मूल (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

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

• यः: who; he who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्वपेत्: should sleep / would sleep
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्वप् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-liṅ), 3rd, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Pramathas

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The passage frames certain behaviors—sexual excess, disrespect toward elders/superiors, delusion-driven meat-eating, and socially marginal sleeping practices—as signs of ritual and moral impurity (ucchiṣṭatva). It reflects a dharma-oriented worldview where self-restraint, hierarchy of respect, and purity norms are treated as markers of ethical fitness.

What is happening in the narrative?

Within Bhishma’s discourse in the Anushasana Parva, the Pramathas are quoted describing categories of people they deem impure and therefore, in their fierce perspective, 'fit to be consumed or slain.' The statement functions as a stark, punitive voice illustrating how transgression is judged in certain mythic-ethical frames.