Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 20

अलोभोपाख्यानम् — शुनःसख-यातुधानी-संवादः

The Allegory of Non-Greed: Śunaḥsakha and the Yātudhānī

Devanagari script

पितामह:ः पुलस्त्यश्न वसिष्ठ: पुलहस्तथा

Transliteration

pitāmahaḥ pulastyaś ca vasiṣṭhaḥ pulahas tathā

Translation

毗湿摩说：“（诸可敬之仙圣中）有毗多摩诃（Pitāmaha）、普拉斯提耶（Pulastya）、婆悉吒（Vasiṣṭha），以及普罗诃（Pulaha）。”

Word by Word

• पितामहः: the grandsire (Bhīṣma)
• पितामहः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पितामह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुलस्त्यः: Pulastya (sage)
• पुलस्त्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलस्त्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• वसिष्ठः: Vasiṣṭha (sage)
• वसिष्ठः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वसिष्ठ
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• पुलहः: Pulaha (sage)
• पुलहः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: पुलह
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• तथा: likewise/also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Pitāmaha (Brahmā)
• Pulastya
• Vasiṣṭha
• Pulaha
• Bhīṣma

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma reinforces dharmic instruction by citing venerable ṛṣis; the implied teaching is that ethical norms gain strength when aligned with the testimony and example of authoritative sages and ancient tradition.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Anuśāsana Parva’s didactic setting, Bhīṣma is enumerating revered figures—Brahmā (as Pitāmaha) and major sages like Pulastya, Vasiṣṭha, and Pulaha—likely as witnesses, exemplars, or sources for the dharma being taught.