Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 27

Adhyāya 119: Vyāsa–Kīṭa-saṃvāda

Tapas-bala and karmic ascent across yoni

Devanagari script

उद्यतेषु च शस्त्रेषु मृग॒व्यालभयेषु च । अमांसभक्षणे राजन्‌ भयमन्यैर्न गच्छति

Transliteration

udyateṣu ca śastreṣu mṛga-vyāla-bhayeṣu ca | amāṁsa-bhakṣaṇe rājan bhayam anyair na gacchati ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“大王啊，即便刀兵已举，即便身处因鹿群、猛兽等诸般险患而生的恐惧之中，不食肉者亦不受他人所加之惧。”

Word by Word

• उद्यतेषु: when (they are) raised
• उद्यतेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: उद्यत
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

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

• शस्त्रेषु: in weapons
• शस्त्रेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शस्त्र
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• मृगव्यालभयेषु: in fears from beasts and predators
• मृगव्यालभयेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: मृग-व्याल-भय
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

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

• अमांसभक्षणे: in abstaining from eating meat
• अमांसभक्षणे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अ-मांस-भक्षण
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• राजन्: O king
• Type: Noun
• Root: राजन्
• Form: Masculine, Vocative, Singular

• भयम्: fear
• भयम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: भय
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अन्यैः: by others
• अन्यैः: Karana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• गच्छति: goes/comes (i.e., befalls/attains)
• Type: Verb
• Root: गम्
• Form: Present, 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• King (Yudhiṣṭhira, implied by context)
• weapons (śastra)
• deer (mṛga)
• wild beasts/dangerous creatures (vyāla)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma links abstention from meat with moral strength and social-spiritual fearlessness: one who refrains from harming for food is less vulnerable to fear arising from others, even in threatening circumstances.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma advises the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) on ethical conduct; here he praises non-meat-eating as a discipline that supports courage and freedom from intimidation.