Shloka 29

आचारप्रशंसा

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

Devanagari script

ब्रह्मचारी च नित्य॑ं स्यात्‌ पादं पादेन नाक्रमेत्‌ अमावास्यां पौर्णमास्यां चतुर्दश्यां च सर्वश:

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | brahmacārī ca nityaṃ syāt pādaṃ pādena nākramet | amāvāsyāṃ paurṇamāsyāṃ caturdaśyāṃ ca sarvaśaḥ |

Translation

毗湿摩说：应当恒常以梵行者（brahmacārin）之道自处，守持禁欲与行持之纪律。不可轻慢无礼地以一足压踏另一足。于新月日（amāvāsyā）、满月日（pūrṇamāsī），以及每半月的第十四日（caturdaśī），都应在一切方面严守梵行——远离欲乐放逸，谨护自身行止。

Word by Word

• ब्रह्मचारी: a celibate/student observing brahmacarya
• ब्रह्मचारी: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्रह्मचारिन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• नित्यम्: always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नित्य

• स्यात्: should be
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• पादम्: foot
• पादम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

• पादेन: with (one's) foot
• पादेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पाद
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

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

• आक्रमेत्: should step on/press
• Type: Verb
• Root: आ-क्रम्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अमावास्याम्: on the new-moon day
• अमावास्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अमावास्या
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• पौर्णमास्याम्: on the full-moon day
• पौर्णमास्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पौर्णमासी
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

• चतुर्दश्याम्: on the fourteenth lunar day
• चतुर्दश्याम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुर्दशी
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Singular

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

• सर्वशः: in every way/always
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सर्वशः

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• amāvāsyā (new-moon tithi)
• paurṇamāsī (full-moon tithi)
• caturdaśī (fourteenth tithi)
• pāda (foot)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches disciplined brahmacarya—continuous self-restraint and careful bodily conduct—especially emphasizing stricter continence on significant lunar days (new moon, full moon, and the fourteenth tithi).

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhishma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and right conduct. Here he lays down practical rules of restraint and observance, framing them as part of a regulated ethical life.