Shloka 11

Ācāra-vidhi (Rules of Conduct) — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Catalogue

Devanagari script

आय्यं हि पायुपर्यन्तमन्ते स्याद्‌ गुदसंज्ञितम्‌ । सत्रोतस्तस्मात्‌ प्रजायन्ते सर्वस्रोतांसि देहिनाम्‌

Transliteration

āyyaṃ hi pāyuparyantam ante syād gudasaṃjñitam | srotas tasmāt prajāyante sarvasrotāṃsi dehinām ||

Translation

婆罗堕阇说道：“此一大脉道自口而下，直达肛门；其末端名为直肠。由此主脉道，诸有身者的一切支脉道皆由之而生。”

Word by Word

• आय्यं: this (channel/duct)
• आय्यं: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: इदम् (अयम्-प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

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

• पायु-पर्यन्तम्: up to the anus
• पायु-पर्यन्तम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable (adverbial accusative)
• Root: पायु + पर्यन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• अन्ते: at the end
• अन्ते: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्त (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine/Neuter, Locative, Singular

• स्यात्: would be/is called
• Type: Verb
• Root: अस् (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• गुद-संज्ञितम्: designated as 'guda' (anus/rectum)
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गुद + संज्ञित (कृदन्त from √ज्ञा with सम्; प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• स्रोतः: channel/duct
• स्रोतः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्रोतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• तस्मात्: from that
• तस्मात्: Apadana
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: तद् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• प्रजायन्ते: arise/are produced
• Type: Verb
• Root: प्र + √जन् (धातु)
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Plural, Atmanepada

• सर्व-स्रोतांसि: all channels/ducts
• सर्व-स्रोतांसि: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्व + स्रोतस् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Plural

• देहिनाम्: of embodied beings
• Type: Noun
• Root: देहिन् (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

Speaker

भरद्वाज उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bharadvāja
• mouth (mukha)
• pāyu (anus)
• guda (rectum)
• srotas (bodily channels)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents a didactic, quasi-physiological model: a principal bodily tract running from mouth to anus is treated as the foundational ‘channel,’ from which the body’s other channels are understood to branch. In Shanti Parva’s instructional context, such descriptions support reflection on embodiment and the structured nature of life within the body.

What is happening in the narrative?

Bharadvāja is speaking in an explanatory mode, defining key bodily terms (pāyu, guda) and describing how the network of ‘srotas’ is conceived to originate from a main passage. The passage functions as a teaching segment within Shanti Parva’s broader discourse-oriented chapters.