Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 133

Ahiṃsā as Threefold Restraint (Mind–Speech–Action) and the Ethics of Consumption

Devanagari script

सुरषषीरणां श्रुतं मध्ये पृष्टभश्नापि यथातथम्‌ । मयापि तच्च कार्त्स्न्येन यथावदनुवर्णितम्‌ । एतच्छुत्वा महाराज धर्मे कुरुमनः सदा

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: Suraṛṣīṇāṃ śrutaṃ madhye pṛṣṭaḥ praśnān api yathātatham | mayāpi tac ca kārtsnyena yathāvad anuvarṇitam || etac chrutvā mahārāja dharme kuru-manaḥ sadā, bharata-nandana |

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira nói: “Giữa hội chúng các thánh hiền cõi trời, ta đã nghe câu chuyện này, và ta đã đáp lời những điều ngươi hỏi đúng như ngươi đã hỏi. Ta cũng đã thuật lại trọn vẹn sự việc ấy, đầy đủ và theo đúng thứ tự. Nghe xong điều này, tâu Đại vương, hỡi niềm tự hào của dòng Bhārata, xin hãy luôn giữ tâm mình vững nơi Dharma.”

Word by Word

• देवर्षीणाम्: of the divine seers
• देवर्षीणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: देवर्षि
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• श्रुतम्: heard
• श्रुतम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत (क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• मध्ये: in the midst
• मध्ये: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मध्य
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• पृष्टम्: asked
• पृष्टम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: पृच्छ् (धातु) → पृष्ट (क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

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

• यथा: as
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथा

• तथा: so/accordingly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• मया: by me
• मया: Karana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अहम्
• Form: —, Instrumental, Singular

• अपि: also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• तत्: that (matter)
• तत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

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

• कार्त्स्न्येन: in entirety/fully
• कार्त्स्न्येन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कार्त्स्न्य
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

• यथावत्: properly/as it is
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यथावत्

• अनुवर्णितम्: recounted/described
• अनुवर्णितम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: अनु + वर्ण् (धातु) → अनुवर्णित (क्त)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative/Accusative, Singular

• एतत्: this
• एतत्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• श्रुत्वा: having heard
• Type: Verb
• Root: श्रु (धातु) → श्रुत्वा (क्त्वा)
• Form: Absolutive (Gerund), —, —

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

• धर्मे: in dharma/righteousness
• धर्मे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

• कुरु: do/keep (apply yourself)
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु) → कुरु (लोट्)
• Form: Imperative (Lot), Second, Singular

• मनः: mind
• मनः: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मनस्
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सदा: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सदा

• भरतनन्दन: O delight of Bharata (descendant of Bharata)
• Type: Noun
• Root: भरतनन्दन
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• युधिष्ठिर (Yudhiṣṭhira)
• सुरर्षि / देवर्षि (divine seers)
• भरतनन्दन (Bharata lineage addressee; the king being addressed)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The core teaching is fidelity to dharma: the listener (the king addressed as Bharatanandana) should keep the mind steadily devoted to righteousness, taking the teaching as an authoritative transmission rather than a personal invention.

What is happening in the narrative?

Yudhiṣṭhira concludes a doctrinal explanation by stating that he heard it among divine seers and has now accurately and completely recounted it in response to the king’s questions, urging the king to remain committed to dharma.