Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 120

Puṣkara-Śapatha Itihāsa (Agastya–Indra Dispute at the Tīrthas) | पुष्कर-शपथ-आख्यानम्

Devanagari script

जगदग्निरुवाच पुरीषमुत्सृजत्वप्सु हन्तु गां चैव द्रह्मतु । अनृतौ मैथुन यातु बिसस्तैन्यं करोति यः:

Transliteration

jagadaagnir uvāca: purīṣam utsṛjatv apsu hantu gāṃ caiva drohatu | anṛtau maithunaṃ yātu bisastainyaṃ karoti yaḥ ||

Translation

ਜਮਦਗਨੀ ਨੇ ਆਖਿਆ—ਜੋ ਬਿਸਾ ਚੁਰਾਂਦਾ ਹੈ, ਉਸ ਨੂੰ ਪਾਣੀ ਵਿੱਚ ਮਲ-ਤਿਆਗ ਕਰਨ ਦਾ ਪਾਪ ਲੱਗਦਾ ਹੈ; ਗਾਂ ਨੂੰ ਮਾਰਨ ਜਾਂ ਗਾਂ ਨਾਲ ਦ੍ਰੋਹ ਕਰਨ ਦਾ ਦੋਸ਼ ਲੱਗਦਾ ਹੈ; ਅਤੇ ਰਿਤੁਕਾਲ ਤੋਂ ਬਿਨਾਂ ਇਸਤਰੀ-ਸੰਗ ਕਰਨ ਦਾ ਪਾਪ ਵੀ ਉਸ ਉੱਤੇ ਆ ਪੈਂਦਾ ਹੈ।

Word by Word

• जगदग्निः: Jamadagni (name of the sage)
• जगदग्निः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: जगदग्नि (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उवाच: said
• उवाच: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Perfect (Paroksha-bhuta), Third, Singular

• पुरीषम्: feces/excrement
• पुरीषम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरीष (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• उत्सृजत्: one who discharges/voids
• उत्सृजत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: उत्सृज् (धातु)
• Form: Shatru (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अप्सु: in the waters
• अप्सु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अप् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• हन्तु: should kill / let him kill
• हन्तु: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: हन् (धातु)
• Form: Imperative, Third, Singular

• गाम्: a cow
• गाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: गो (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च (अव्यय)

• एव: indeed/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव (अव्यय)

• द्रुह्यतु: should betray / do harm (be treacherous)
• द्रुह्यतु: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्रुह् (धातु)
• Form: Imperative, Third, Singular

• अनृतौ: at a non-proper season (outside the proper time)
• अनृतौ: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनृतु (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• मैथुनम्: sexual intercourse
• मैथुनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैथुन (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• यातु: should go/engage (in)
• यातु: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: या (धातु)
• Form: Imperative, Third, Singular

• बिस-स्तैन्यम्: theft of lotus-stalks
• बिस-स्तैन्यम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: बिस (प्रातिपदिक) + स्तैन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• करोति: does/commits
• करोति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular

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

Speaker

भरद्वाज उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Jagadagni
• cow (gā)
• water (apsu)
• lotus-stalks/lotus-fibres (bisā)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that even seemingly minor theft (here, lotus-stalks) is ethically serious and is equated with major transgressions—polluting water, harming or betraying a cow, and improper sexual conduct—thereby warning that adharma in small acts carries heavy moral consequences.

What is happening in the narrative?

In a didactic context on dharma and wrongdoing, the speaker (attributed here to Jagadagni) pronounces a set of sins that attach to a person who steals lotus-stalks, using strong comparisons to impress the gravity of the act.