Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 11

Brāhmaṇa-pūjā and Namaskāra: Criteria of Reverence and Non-Offense (ब्राह्मणपूजा-नमस्कारविधिः)

Devanagari script

येषामेतानि तिष्ठन्ति गृहेषु गृहमेधिनाम्‌ । तान्यधृष्याण्यगाराणि पिशिताशै: सुदारुणै:

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca | yeṣām etāni tiṣṭhanti gṛheṣu gṛhamedhinām | tāny adhṛṣyāṇy agārāṇi piśitāśaiḥ sudāruṇaiḥ ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：凡居士之家若能安置并持守这些所规定之物，则其宅邸便成不可攻破之所；纵使最凶残的食肉夜行魑魅，也不敢来犯。

Word by Word

• येषाम्: of whom/whose
• येषाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: यद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: any, Genitive, Plural

• एतानि: these (things)
• एतानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: एतद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• तिष्ठन्ति: stand/are present
• Type: Verb
• Root: स्था (धातु)
• Form: Present, Third, Plural, Parasmaipada

• गृहेषु: in houses
• गृहेषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृह (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Plural

• गृहमेधिनाम्: of householders
• गृहमेधिनाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: गृहमेधिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• तानि: those (houses)
• तानि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तद् (सर्वनाम-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• अधृष्याणि: unassailable
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अधृष्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• अगाराणि: houses/dwellings
• अगाराणि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: अगार (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• पिशिताशैः: by flesh-eaters
• पिशिताशैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पिशिताशिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• सुदारुणैः: very fierce/terrible
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सुदारुण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma
• householders (gṛhamedhins)
• houses/dwellings (agāra)
• flesh-eating night-roamers (piśitāśa; implied rākṣasa/niśācara)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma teaches that a householder’s disciplined maintenance of prescribed domestic observances makes the home ‘adhṛṣya’—secure against harmful, predatory forces. The ethical point is that ordered, dharmic household life is itself a form of protection.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bhishma continues instructing Yudhishthira in Anushasana Parva on householder duties and auspicious safeguards, stating that homes where certain specified items/rites are present are not attacked by fierce flesh-eating night-roamers.