Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अपने-आप बछ। अ--काजज षष्टर्याधिकशततमो< ध्याय: मन और इन्ट्रियोंके संयमरूप दमका माहात्म्य युधिछिर उवाच स्वाध्याये कृतयत्नस्य नरस्य च पितामह । धर्मकामस्य धर्मात्मन्‌ कि नु श्रेय इहोच्यते,युधिष्ठिरने पूछा--धर्मात्मा पितामह! जो स्वाध्यायके लिये यत्नशील है और धर्मपालनकी इच्छा रखता है, उस मनुष्यके लिये इस संसारमें श्रेय क्या बताया जाता है?

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca—svādhyāye kṛta-yatnasya narasya ca pitāmaha | dharma-kāmasya dharmātman kiṃ nu śreya iha ucyate ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira sprach: „O Großvater, o du rechtschaffene Seele—wenn ein Mensch sich ernstlich dem Svādhyāya (Selbststudium, heilige Rezitation) widmet und danach verlangt, gemäß dem Dharma zu leben, was wird ihm in dieser Welt als höchstes Heil verkündet?“

Word by Word

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

उवाचsaid/spoke

स्वाध्यायेin/with regard to self-study (Vedic study)

कृतयत्नस्यof one who has made effort / is diligent

नरस्यof a man/person

चand

पितामहO grandsire (Bhīṣma)

धर्मकामस्यof one who desires dharma / intent on righteousness

धर्मात्मन्O righteous-souled one

किम्what

नुindeed/then (interrogative particle)

श्रेयःthe good, the highest benefit

इहhere (in this world)

उच्यतेis said/declared

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha)

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?

The verse frames a dharmic inquiry: for one committed to svādhyāya (disciplined study) and eager to practice dharma, what constitutes true śreyas—practical and moral well-being in this life.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Bhīṣma as ‘Grandfather’ and asks him to define the highest good for a person devoted to sacred study and righteous living, setting up Bhīṣma’s instruction on ethical discipline.