Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 46

Devanagari script

न नग्नामीक्षते नारीं न नग्नान्‌ पुरुषानपि | मैथुनं सततं गुप्तमाहारं च समाचरेत्‌,नंगी स्त्रीकी ओर न देखे, नग्न पुरुषोंकी ओर भी दृष्टिपात न करे। मैथुन और भोजन सदा एकान्त स्थानमें ही करे

Transliteration

na nagnām īkṣate nārīṃ na nagnān puruṣān api | maithunaṃ satataṃ guptam āhāraṃ ca samācaret ||

Translation

毗湿摩说道：“不可观看裸露的女子，也不可观看裸露的男子。交合之事，乃至饮食之事，都应在隐密处进行，避开众目，以守羞耻之德与自制之心。”

Word by Word

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

• नग्नाम्: a naked (woman)
• नग्नाम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नग्ना
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• ईक्षते: looks at / sees
• Type: Verb
• Root: ईक्ष्
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada

• नारीम्: a woman
• नारीम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: नारी
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

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

• नग्नान्: naked (men)
• नग्नान्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: नग्न
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• पुरुषान्: men
• पुरुषान्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुरुष
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Plural

• अपि: also / even
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• मैथुनम्: sexual intercourse
• मैथुनम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: मैथुन
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• सततम्: always / constantly
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: सतत

• गुप्तम्: secret / concealed
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुप्त
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• आहारम्: food / eating
• आहारम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आहार
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• समाचरेत्: should practice / should do
• Type: Verb
• Root: सम्-आ-चर्
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches lajja (modesty) and saṃyama (self-restraint): avoid voyeuristic looking at nakedness, and keep intimate acts—sexual union and even eating—private, as part of disciplined ethical conduct.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and proper conduct (ācāra). This verse is one of his prescriptive rules emphasizing decorum and privacy in personal behavior.