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

Wika ni Bhīṣma: Huwag matulog nang hubad, at huwag ding humiga upang magpahinga habang nasa kalagayang marumi pa matapos kumain (ibig sabihin, hindi pa nakapaglilinis nang nararapat). Itinuturo ng tuntuning ito ang disiplina ng katawan at pang-araw-araw na kalinisan bilang bahagi ng dharma, na binibigyang-diin na maging ang mga gawi sa pribado ay dapat pamahalaan ng pagpipigil at kalinisan.

Word by Word

• स्वप्तव्यम्: should be slept (one should sleep)
• स्वप्तव्यम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्वप् (धातु)
• Form: तव्यत्, कर्मणि/भावे (कर्तरि-प्रयोगार्थे विधेयता), नपुंसकलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

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

• एव: indeed/at all
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• नग्नेन: by/while being naked
• नग्नेन: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नग्न (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, तृतीया, एकवचन

• न: nor/not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

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

• उच्छिष्टः: impure (with leftover food/unclean)
• उच्छिष्टः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उच्छिष्ट (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: पुंलिङ्ग, प्रथमा, एकवचन

• अपि: even/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• संविशेत्: should lie down/should go to bed
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम् + विश् (धातु)
• Form: विधिलिङ्, optative (injunctive/should), प्रथम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

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.

What is happening in the narrative?

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.