Shloka 5
दान-धर्म-आश्रमविधानम्
Dana, Dharma, and the Four Āśramas
भरद्वाज उवाच कथं सलिलमुत्पन्नं कथं चैवाग्निमारुतौ | कथं वा मेदिनी सूष्टेत्यत्र मे संशयो महान्
bharadvāja uvāca kathaṃ salilam utpannaṃ kathaṃ caivāgnimārutau | kathaṃ vā medinī sṛṣṭety atra me saṃśayo mahān |
ভৰদ্বাজে ক’লে—ভগৱন্! জল কেনেকৈ উৎপন্ন হ’ল? অগ্নি আৰু বায়ু কেনেকৈ সৃষ্টি হ’ল? আৰু পৃথিৱী কেনেকৈ গঢ়া হ’ল? এই বিষয়ত মোৰ মহা সংশয় আছে।
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models a disciplined philosophical inquiry: when foundational questions about the world’s origin arise, one should articulate doubts clearly and seek a reasoned account rather than accept assumptions.
In Śānti Parva’s reflective setting, the sage Bharadvāja raises a cosmological question, asking how the basic elements—water, fire, wind, and earth—were created, indicating he seeks a systematic explanation from the interlocutor.