Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 13
Adhyāya 119: Vyāsa–Kīṭa-saṃvāda
Tapas-bala and karmic ascent across yoni
Devanagari script
ददाति यजते चापि तपस्वी च भवत्यपि । मधुमांसनिवृत्त्येति प्राह चैवं बृहस्पति:
Transliteration
dadāti yajate cāpi tapasvī ca bhavaty api | madhumāṃsa-nivṛttyeti prāha caivaṃ bṛhaspatiḥ ||
Translation
毗湿摩曰：“布里哈斯帕提曾言：凡舍弃醇酒与肉食者，即被视为行布施、修祭祀、习苦行之人；戒酒戒肉，得与布施、祭祀与苦行（tapas）同等之功德。”
Word by Word
ददातिgives
ददाति:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootदा (दाने)
Formलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
यजतेsacrifices / performs a yajña
यजते:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootयज् (देवपूजासंगतिकरणदान)
Formलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम, एकवचन, आत्मनेपद
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
अपिalso / even
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
तपस्वीan ascetic; one who practices austerity
तपस्वी:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootतपस्विन् (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
भवतिbecomes / is
भवति:
TypeVerb
Rootभू (सत्तायाम्)
Formलट् (वर्तमान), प्रथम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
अपिalso
अपि:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootअपि
मधु-मांस-निवृत्त्याby abstaining from liquor and meat
मधु-मांस-निवृत्त्या:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootमधु + मांस + निवृत्ति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formस्त्री, तृतीया, एकवचन
इतिthus (quotative)
इति:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootइति
प्राहsaid / declared
प्राह:
TypeVerb
Rootप्र-आह (अह्/ब्रू—कथने; परस्मैपद, लिट्)
Formलिट् (परोक्श/परफेक्ट), प्रथम, एकवचन, परस्मैपद
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
एवम्thus / in this manner
एवम्:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootएवम्
बृहस्पतिःBṛhaspati
बृहस्पतिः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootबृहस्पति (प्रातिपदिक)
Formपुं, प्रथमा, एकवचन
Speaker
भीष्म उवाच
Characters & Entities
B
BhishmaB
BrihaspatiM
madhu (intoxicating drink)M
māṃsa (meat)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Geographic Context
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
Abstaining from alcohol and meat is praised as a powerful ethical discipline that yields the same religious merit as charity (dāna), sacrifice (yajña), and austerity (tapas).
In Bhishma’s instruction on dharma, he cites Brihaspati as an authoritative voice, presenting a concise rule: renunciation of intoxicants and meat is itself a form of high religious practice with great merit.