Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 118

आचारप्रशंसा

Praise of Ācāra as the Basis of Longevity, Fame, and Prosperity

Devanagari script

संध्यायां न स्वपेद्‌ राजन्‌ विद्यां न च समाचरेत्‌

Transliteration

saṁdhyāyāṁ na svaped rājan vidyāṁ na ca samācaret

Translation

பீஷ்மர் கூறினார்— அரசே! சந்தியைக்காலத்தில் உறங்கக் கூடாது; அந்நேரத்தில் கல்வியைப் படிப்பதோ பயிற்றுவதோ கூடாது.

Word by Word

• संध्यायाम्: at twilight
• संध्यायाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• स्वपेत्: should sleep
• स्वपेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्वप्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• विद्याम्: learning/knowledge (study)
• विद्याम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: विद्या
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

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

• समाचरेत्: should practice/undertake
• समाचरेत्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-चर्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• King (Yudhiṣṭhira, addressed as rājan)
• Sandhyā (twilight time)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Twilight (sandhyā) is treated as a liminal, disciplined time meant for prescribed observances; therefore one should avoid sleeping then and also avoid taking up study/learning activities at that junction.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma continues advising the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) on proper conduct (ācāra), giving a specific rule about what should not be done during sandhyā-time.