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
ਭੀਸ਼ਮ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—ਨੰਗੇ ਹੋ ਕੇ ਨਾ ਸੁੱਤੇ, ਅਤੇ ਉੱਛਿਸ਼ਟ (ਅਸ਼ੁੱਧ) ਹਾਲਤ ਵਿੱਚ ਵੀ ਲੇਟ ਕੇ ਆਰਾਮ ਨਾ ਕਰੇ। ਇਹ ਨਿਯਮ ਦੇਹ-ਸੰਯਮ ਅਤੇ ਨਿੱਤ ਦੀ ਸ਼ੁੱਧਤਾ ਸਿਖਾਉਂਦਾ ਹੈ।
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.