Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 19

आचारप्रशंसा

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

Devanagari script

ये न पूर्वामुपासन्ते द्विजा: संध्यां न पश्चिमाम्‌

Transliteration

ye na pūrvām upāsante dvijāḥ sandhyāṁ na paścimām

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“凡二生者（dvija）若不修晨间三昧耶礼（sandhyā），亦不修暮间三昧耶礼，便是怠弃了根本的日常义务。”

Word by Word

• ये: who (those who)
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• पूर्वाम्: eastern (morning)
• पूर्वाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पूर्वा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• उपासन्ते: worship/attend upon
• Type: Verb
• Root: उप-आस्
• Form: Present, Indicative, Atmanepada, Third, Plural

• द्विजाः: twice-born (Brahmins etc.)
• द्विजाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• संध्याम्: twilight prayer (sandhyā)
• संध्याम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: संध्या
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

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

• पश्चिमाम्: western (evening)
• पश्चिमाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पश्चिमा
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• dvijāḥ
• Sandhyā (Sandhyā-vandana)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma emphasizes that for a dvija, neglecting the morning and evening Sandhyā rites is a serious lapse in nitya-karma. Regular Sandhyā practice is presented as a stabilizing discipline that preserves purity, self-restraint, and fidelity to dharma.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction section, Bhīṣma is advising on proper conduct and duties. Here he singles out the omission of Sandhyā worship—morning and evening—as an example of abandoning essential daily religious obligations.