Shloka 22

Prāyaścitta-vidhāna: Tapas, Dāna, Vrata, and Proportional Expiation (प्रायश्चित्तविधानम्)

Devanagari script

अभक्ष्या ब्राद्माणैर्मत्स्या: शल्कैयें वै विवर्जिता: | चतुष्पात्‌ कच्छपादन्यो मण्ड्रका जलजाश्च ये

Transliteration

abhakṣyā brāhmaṇair matsyāḥ śalkair eva vivarjitāḥ | catuṣpāt kacchapād anyo maṇḍrakā jalajāś ca ye ||

Translation

毗耶娑宣示婆罗门的饮食戒律：即便是无鳞之鱼亦不可食。又龟与除龟之外的一切四足之兽，皆禁为食；蛙以及其他生于水中的众生，也当避之。

Word by Word

• अभक्ष्याः: inedible, not to be eaten
• अभक्ष्याः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अभक्ष्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• ब्राह्मणैः: by/for Brahmins
• ब्राह्मणैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• मत्स्याः: fish
• मत्स्याः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मत्स्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• शल्कैः: with scales
• शल्कैः: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: शल्क
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Plural

• एव: indeed/only
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• विवर्जिताः: devoid of, lacking
• विवर्जिताः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि-√वृज्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural, क्त (past passive participle)

• चतुष्पात्: a four-footed creature
• चतुष्पात्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: चतुष्पाद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• कच्छपात्: from the tortoise
• कच्छपात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: कच्छप
• Form: Masculine, Ablative, Singular

• अन्यः: other
• अन्यः: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: अन्य
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• मण्डूकाः: frogs
• मण्डूकाः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: मण्डूक
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

• जलजाः: water-born (aquatic creatures)
• जलजाः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: जलज
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

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

• ये: which/who
• ये: Karta
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: यद्
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Plural

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Brāhmaṇas
• fish (matsya)
• scales (śalka)
• tortoise (kacchapa)
• quadrupeds (catuṣpād)
• frogs (maṇḍraka)
• aquatic creatures (jalaja)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse teaches that dharma includes regulated consumption: for Brāhmaṇas, certain categories of animals—especially particular aquatic and amphibious beings—are classified as abhakṣya (forbidden), emphasizing purity and restraint as ethical disciplines.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Vyāsa is laying down specific prohibitions regarding what Brāhmaṇas should not eat, listing fish (notably those lacking scales), tortoise and other quadrupeds, frogs, and other water-born creatures.