Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 50

गोमूल्यनिर्णयः — The Determination of Value through the Cow

Nahuṣa–Cyavana Episode

Devanagari script

योनिष्वेतासु सर्वासु संकीर्णास्वितरासु च । यत्रात्मानं न जनयेद्‌ बुधस्तां परिवर्जयेत्‌

Transliteration

yoniṣv etāsu sarvāsu saṅkīrṇāsv itarāsu ca | yatrātmānaṃ na janayed budhas tāṃ parivarjayet ||

Translation

毗湿摩说：“在所述诸种胎生之中，乃至其他杂糅或被视为卑下的出生之中，智者不应在自己都不愿‘再生其身’之处生育子嗣。此类结合当彻底回避。”

Word by Word

• योनिषु: in wombs/species
• योनिषु: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: योनि
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• एतासु: in these
• एतासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: एतद्
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• सर्वासु: in all
• सर्वासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• संकीर्णासु: in mixed/impure (castes)
• संकीर्णासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: संकीर्ण
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

• इतरासु: in other
• इतरासु: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: इतर
• Form: Feminine, Locative, Plural

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

• यत्र: where
• यत्र: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: यत्र

• आत्मानम्: oneself
• आत्मानम्: Karma
• Type: Noun
• Root: आत्मन्
• Form: Masculine, Accusative, Singular

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

• जनयेत्: should beget/produce
• Type: Verb
• Root: जन् (जनयति)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• बुधः: a wise man
• बुधः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: बुध
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ताम्: that (one/that kind)
• ताम्: Karma
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद्
• Form: Feminine, Accusative, Singular

• परिवर्जयेत्: should avoid/shun
• Type: Verb
• Root: परि-वृज् (वर्जयति)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhishma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse advises restraint in procreation: a discerning person should avoid begetting children in unions or circumstances considered unfit, and should renounce such connections entirely.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anushasana Parva, Bhishma continues his dharma-instruction, laying down norms about conduct and social propriety; here he cautions against producing offspring in certain censured or mixed births/associations.