Shloka 73

आचारप्रशंसा

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

Devanagari script

उच्छिष्टो यः प्राद्रवति स्वाध्यायं चाधिगच्छति । यश्चानध्यायकाले5पि मोहादभ्यस्यति द्विज:

Transliteration

ucchiṣṭo yaḥ prādravati svādhyāyaṃ cādhigacchati | yaścānadhyāya-kāle 'pi mohād abhyasyati dvijaḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：凡食后口中不净而匆忙奔走、从事吠陀自诵与学习者；又凡二次生者（dvija）因迷妄而在禁诵之期（anadhyāya）仍强行研读者——关于此等人，传统追述阎摩所唱的古老故事。阎摩宣告：他将削短此人的寿命，并夺其后嗣；而那在 anadhyāya 期间学习的 dvija，其吠陀功德/知识与寿数亦同归毁灭。故谨慎之人切勿在禁时研习吠陀。

Word by Word

• उच्छिष्टः: with leftover food in the mouth; unclean (after eating)
• उच्छिष्टः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उच्छिष्ट
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• यः: who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्राद्रवति: runs forth; rushes
• Type: Verb
• Root: द्रु (धावने)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• स्वाध्यायम्: Vedic study; recitation
• स्वाध्यायम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाध्याय
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• अधिगच्छति: undertakes; engages in; studies
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• यः: and who
• यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• अनध्याय-काले: at the time of prohibited study (anadhyaya)
• अनध्याय-काले: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अनध्याय-काल
• Form: Masculine, Locative, Singular

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

• मोहात्: out of delusion; through confusion
• मोहात्: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मोह
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• अभ्यस्यति: practises; studies; recites repeatedly
• Type: Verb
• Root: अभि+अस् (अभ्यासे)
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• द्विजः: a twice-born (Brahmin etc.)
• द्विजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma (Bhīṣma)
• Yama (Yamarāja)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Vedic study (svādhyāya) must be done with proper purity and at permitted times; studying with an impure mouth (ucchiṣṭa) or during an anadhyāya period is portrayed as a serious breach that destroys longevity and the fruit of learning.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma instructs by citing an old traditional account attributed to Yama: Yama warns that those who recite/study the Veda in impure or prohibited conditions incur grave consequences, so the wise should avoid svādhyāya at forbidden times.