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

毗湿摩说道：白日睡眠，以及日出之后仍卧躺安睡，都会减损寿命。黎明之时不应睡，夜初之际亦不应睡。行止端正之人，夜间不以不净之身而眠（饭后未净身者不眠）。

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.