Shloka 11

Devanagari script

यश्न त्रयाणां वर्णानामिच्छेदाश्रमसेवनम्‌ । चातुराश्रम्यदृष्टांश्न॒ धर्मास्तान्‌ शृणु पाण्डव,पाण्डुनन्दन! जो राजा अपने राज्यमें तीनों वर्णों (ब्राह्मण, क्षत्रिय, वैश्य) के द्वारा शास्त्रोक्त रूपसे आश्रम-धर्मका सेवन कराना चाहता हो, उसके लिये जानने योग्य जो चारों आश्रमोंके लिये उपयोगी धर्म हैं, उनका वर्णन करता हूँ, सुनो

Transliteration

Bhīṣma uvāca: yas triṇāṁ varṇānām icched āśrama-sevanam | cāturāśramya-dṛṣṭāṁś ca dharmās tān śṛṇu pāṇḍava ||

Translation

ভীষ্ম বললেন—হে পাণ্ডব! যদি কোনো রাজা চান যে ব্রাহ্মণ, ক্ষত্রিয় ও বৈশ্য—এই তিন বর্ণ শাস্ত্রবিধি অনুসারে চতুরাশ্রমের নিয়ম পালন করুক, তবে শোনো। আমি চতুরাশ্রম-ব্যবস্থার দৃষ্টিতে চার আশ্রমের উপকারী ধর্মসমূহ বর্ণনা করছি।

Word by Word

यःwho (he who)

त्रयाणाम्of three

वर्णानाम्of the social classes (varṇas)

इच्छेत्should desire / would wish

आश्रम-सेवनम्practice/observance of the āśramas

चातुराश्रम्य-दृष्टान्seen/recognized in the system of four āśramas

धर्मान्duties / dharmas

तान्those

शृणुhear / listen

पाण्डवO Pāṇḍava

पाण्डु-नन्दनO son of Pāṇḍu

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Pāṇḍava (Yudhiṣṭhira)

three varṇas (brāhmaṇa, kṣatriya, vaiśya)

four āśramas (brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, saṁnyāsa)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A king who seeks a stable and righteous realm should ensure that the three varṇas follow scripturally grounded āśrama-duties; Bhishma introduces the general dharmas that support the four-āśrama system as a framework for social and ethical order.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Bhishma continues instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma after the war. Here he signals a transition: he is about to outline the duties relevant to the four āśramas, aimed especially at guiding royal governance and public conduct.