Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 12

Adhyāya 119: Vyāsa–Kīṭa-saṃvāda

Tapas-bala and karmic ascent across yoni

Devanagari script

स्वमांसं परमांसेन यो वर्धयितुमिच्छति । नारद: प्राह धर्मात्मा नियतं सोडवसीदति,धर्मात्मा नारदजी कहते हैं--जो दूसरेके मांससे अपना मांस बढ़ाना चाहता है, वह निश्चय ही दुःख उठाता है

Transliteration

svamāṁsaṁ paramāṁsena yo vardhayitum icchati | nāradaḥ prāha dharmātmā niyataṁ so ’vasīdati ||

Translation

毗湿摩曰：“正法圣者那罗陀曾宣示：凡欲以他人之肉滋养增益己身之肉者，必定遭祸受苦。”

Word by Word

• स्वमांसम्: one's own flesh
• स्वमांसम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वमांस
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• परमांसेन: with another's flesh
• परमांसेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: परमांस
• Form: Neuter, Instrumental, Singular

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

• वर्धयितुम्: to increase, to make grow
• वर्धयितुम्: Karma
• Type: Verb
• Root: वृध्
• Form: Infinitive (tumun), Parasmaipada/causative sense

• इच्छति: desires
• इच्छति: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: इष्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• नारदः: Narada
• नारदः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारद
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्राह: said
• प्राह: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र+अह्
• Form: Perfect, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

• धर्मात्मा: righteous-souled
• धर्मात्मा: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: धर्मात्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• नियतम्: certainly, surely
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: नियत
• Form: true

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

• उद्वसीदति: sinks down; suffers distress
• Type: Verb
• Root: उद्+सद्
• Form: Present, Third, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• Narada

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Gaining one’s own strength or benefit by consuming, exploiting, or harming others is adharma and inevitably leads to suffering and downfall.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he cites the authority of the sage Narada to warn that self-advancement built on another’s injury brings certain misery.