Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 12

Devanagari script

इत्युक्त: प्राह देवान्‌ स न शक्तोडस्मि महीगतान्‌ । दग्धुं तपो हि क्षीयेन्मे न शक्‍्यामीति पार्थिव

Transliteration

ity uktaḥ prāha devān sa na śakto ’smi mahī-gatān | dagdhuṃ tapo hi kṣīyen me na śakyāmīti pārthiva ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：他被如此问及，便答诸天道：“大王，我不能焚烧居于大地之上的阿修罗。因为若我焚烧他们，我的苦行（tapas）之力将会减损。因此，此事我不能为。”

Word by Word

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

• उक्तः: having been spoken to / addressed
• उक्तः: Karta
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• प्राह: said
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + अह्
• Form: Perfect, 3, Singular

• देवान्: the gods
• देवान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: देव
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

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

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

• शक्तः: able
• Type: Adjective
• Root: शक् (क्त)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• अस्मि: I am
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस्
• Form: Present, 1, Singular

• महीगतान्: gone to the earth / earth-dwelling
• Type: Adjective
• Root: महीगत
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• दग्धुम्: to burn
• Type: Verb
• Root: दह् (तुमुन्)
• Form: Infinitive

• तपः: austerity, penance
• तपः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: तपस्
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed, for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• क्षीयेत्: would diminish
• Type: Verb
• Root: क्षि
• Form: Optative (Potential), 3, Singular

• मे: my
• मे: Sambandha
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अस्मद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

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

• शक्यामि: I am able
• Type: Verb
• Root: शक्
• Form: Present, 1, Singular

• इति: thus
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इति

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

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• the gods (Devas)
• Agastya (implied by context)
• asuras (earth-dwelling)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Even when urged to use destructive power, an ascetic must guard tapas; restraint and preservation of spiritual merit can be a higher duty than punitive action.

What is happening in the narrative?

After being requested by the gods to burn the earth-dwelling asuras, the sage (as indicated by the surrounding context) declines, explaining to the king that such an act would diminish his austerity, and so he is unable to undertake it.