Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 10
Devanagari script
दहत्यूर्ध्व स्थितो यच्च प्राणान् तृणां स्थिरश्न यत्
Transliteration
dahaty ūrdhva-sthito yac ca prāṇān tṛṇāṁ sthiraśna yat
Translation
风神伐由说道：“那居于上方而燃烧者；那吞噬草木之生命气息者——此亦当依其本性与作用而如实了知。”
Word by Word
दहतिburns
दहति:
TypeVerb
Rootदह्
FormLat (Present Indicative), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada
ऊर्ध्वम्upwards
ऊर्ध्वम्:
Adhikarana
TypeIndeclinable
Rootऊर्ध्व
स्थितःstanding/being situated
स्थितः:
Karta
TypeAdjective
Rootस्थित
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
यत्which/that (one)
यत्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
चand
च:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootच
प्राणान्vital breaths/lives
प्राणान्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootप्राण
FormMasculine, Accusative, Plural
तृणाम्of grasses/straws
तृणाम्:
TypeNoun
Rootतृण
FormNeuter, Genitive, Plural
स्थिरम्steady/firm
स्थिरम्:
TypeAdjective
Rootस्थिर
FormNeuter, Accusative, Singular
अश्नन्eating/consuming
अश्नन्:
Karta
TypeVerb
Rootअश्
FormShatr (Present Active Participle), Masculine, Nominative, Singular
यत्which/that (one)
यत्:
Karta
TypePronoun
Rootयद्
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
Speaker
वायुदेव उवाच
Characters & Entities
व
वायुदेव (Vāyu-deva)प
प्राण (prāṇa)त
तृण (tṛṇa)Character Dynamics
Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)
Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)
Philosophical Teaching
Political Layer
Meter (Chandas)
Sandhi Notes
Educational Q&A
The verse points to the natural powers that burn and consume life (symbolically fire/heat and related forces) and implies an ethical reflection: harm can occur even through elemental processes, so one should understand causality and the workings of nature when judging action, responsibility, and dharma.
Vāyu-deva is speaking and describing a force that burns from above and consumes the life-breath of grasses, as part of a broader instruction that classifies or explains natural phenomena and their effects within a dharmic framework.