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Mahānirvāṇa Tantra cover

॥ श्री ॥tantraFor reading

Mahānirvāṇa Tantra 11.114

Traditional

Ullāsas
14
Verses
2517
Minutes
1258
Level
advanced

Ullāsa 11 · Verse 114

अतिपाननिरूपणम्What excessive drinking is

Verse 114

सुराभेदात् व्यक्तिभेदात् न्यूनेनाऽप्यधिकेन वा । देशकालविभेदेन बुद्धिभ्रंशो भवेन्नृणाम् ॥ ११४ ॥

surābhēdāt vyaktibhēdāt nyūnēnā’pyadhikēna vā | dēśakālavibhēdēna buddhibhraṁśō bhavēnnṛṇām || 114 ||

Translation

From differences of wine and of person, with a small or a large amount, and by differences of place and time, men lose their understanding.

Word by word

surā
of wine
bhēdāt
(bhedāt) from differences
vyakti
of person
nyūnēna
with a small
api
also
adhikēna
with a large
vā
or
dēśa
of place
kāla
and time
vibhēdēna
by differences
buddhi
of understanding
bhraṁśaḥ
(bhraṁśaḥ) loss
bhavēt
comes
nṛṇām
(nṛṇām) to men

Meaning

There is no safe quantity: it depends on the drink, the person, the place and the time.

Commentary

Hariharānanda Bhāratī’s Sanskrit commentary, translated

Since, from differences of wine and the like, a small or a large amount may produce loss of understanding, and excessive drinking cannot therefore be known by measure, he says in two verses, "surā" and the rest, ending "vicārayet", that it is to be recognised by stumbling and the like. From a difference of wine, a difference of person, a particular person, and differences of place and time, men may lose their understanding with a small or with a large amount of wine. For that very reason excessive drinking is not marked by the measure of wine, but is to be judged, recognised, by faltering speech, hands, feet and eyes.