Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 138

ज्येष्ठ-कनिष्ठ-धर्मः — Duties of Elders and Juniors

Anuśāsana-parva 108

Devanagari script

अनायुष्यं दिवा स्वप्न तथाभ्युदितशायिता । प्रगे निशामाशु तथा नैवोच्छिष्टा: स्वपन्ति वै

Transliteration

anāyuṣyaṃ divā svapnaḥ tathābhyuditśāyitā | prage niśām āśu tathā naivocchiṣṭāḥ svapanti vai ||

Translation

Bhīṣma nói: Ngủ ban ngày, và cũng như nằm nghỉ sau khi mặt trời đã mọc, làm giảm thọ mạng. Không nên ngủ vào lúc rạng đông, cũng không nên ngủ vào đầu đêm. Người có hạnh kiểm đoan chính không ngủ ban đêm khi còn ở trạng thái bất tịnh (chưa tẩy sạch sau khi ăn).

Word by Word

• अनायुष्यम्: life-shortening, detrimental to longevity
• अनायुष्यम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अनायुष्य
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• दिवा: by day, in daytime
• दिवा: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: दिव् (दिवा)

• स्वप्नः: sleep (day-sleep)
• स्वप्नः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वप्न
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: and likewise, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• अभ्युदित: risen (of the sun), after sunrise
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभि-उद्-इ (अभ्युदित)
• Form: Neuter (as first member in compound), —, —

• शायिता: lying down, sleeping (act/state of reclining)
• शायिता: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: शय् (शायित)
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• प्रगे: in the early morning
• प्रगे: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: प्रगे

• निशाम्: night (i.e., at night-time; here as time-span)
• निशाम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: निशा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• आशु: quickly, promptly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: आशु

• तथा: and likewise, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

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

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

• उच्छिष्टाः: impure (with food-remnants; unclean)
• उच्छिष्टाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उच्छिष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• स्वपन्ति: sleep
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्वप्
• Form: Present (Lat), Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• वै: indeed, surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वै

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• the sun (sunrise)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches disciplined daily conduct: avoid daytime sleep and sleeping after sunrise, do not sleep at dawn or at the start of night, and maintain bodily/ritual cleanliness—especially not sleeping at night while ‘ucchiṣṭa’ (uncleansed after eating).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anushasana Parva’s instruction on dharma and proper conduct, Bhishma continues giving Yudhishthira practical ethical guidance (ācāra) about daily routines—here, specifically regulating sleep and emphasizing purity.