Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 11

Dvaipāyana–Kīṭa Saṃvāda: Karmic Memory, Fear of Death, and Embodied Pleasure

Devanagari script

पुत्रमांसोपमं जानन्‌ खादते यो<विचक्षण: । मांसं मोहसमायुक्त: पुरुष: सो5धम: स्मृत:

Transliteration

putramāṃsopamaṃ jānan khādate yo ’vicakṣaṇaḥ | māṃsaṃ mohasamāyuktaḥ puruṣaḥ so ’dhamaḥ smṛtaḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“明知肉与己子之肉无异，而仍食之者，实为无明之人。被迷妄与无知所缠而食肉者，世所记为卑下可责。”

Word by Word

• पुत्रमांसोपमम्: like (one's) son's flesh
• पुत्रमांसोपमम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: पुत्रमांसोपम (पुत्र + मांस + उपम)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• जानन्: knowing
• जानन्: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: ज्ञा
• Form: शतृ (present active participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• खादते: eats
• Type: Verb
• Root: खाद्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Ātmanepada

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

• अविचक्षणः: undiscerning, foolish
• अविचक्षणः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अविचक्षण
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मांसम्: meat
• मांसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मांस
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• मोहसमायुक्तः: joined with delusion, deluded
• मोहसमायुक्तः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मोहसमायुक्त (मोह + समा + युक्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुरुषः: man, person
• पुरुषः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• सः: he
• सः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अधमः: lowest, vile
• अधमः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधम
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• स्मृतः: is considered/remembered (as)
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्मृ
• Form: क्त (past passive participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse condemns meat-eating as a product of moha (delusion) and lack of discernment, urging compassion by equating meat with the unimaginable act of eating one’s own child’s flesh.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma continues his ethical counsel, characterizing the meat-eater—despite knowing the moral implication—as ‘adhama’ (base), thereby reinforcing a norm of non-violence and purity of conduct.