Shloka 1
Varṇa-lakṣaṇa and Ātma-saṃyama (Marks of Social Conduct and Self-Restraint) | वर्णलक्षणम् एवं आत्मसंयमः
ऑपन--माजण बछ। अकाल एकाशीरत्याधिकशततमो< ध्याय: शुभाशुभ कर्मोंका परिणाम कर्ताको अवश्य भोगना पड़ता है, इसका प्रतिपादन युधिछिर उवाच यद्यस्ति दत्तमिष्टं वा तपस्तप्तं तथैव च । गुरूणां वापि शुश्रूषा तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह,युधिष्ठिरने पूछा--पितामह! यदि दान, यज्ञ, तप अथवा गुरुशुश्रूषा पुण्यकर्म है और उसका कुछ फल होता है तो वह मुझे बताइये
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: yady asti dattam iṣṭaṃ vā tapas taptaṃ tathaiva ca | gurūṇāṃ vāpi śuśrūṣā tan me brūhi pitāmaha ||
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Grandfather, if acts such as giving (charity), sacrifice, austerity rightly undertaken, and devoted service to one’s teachers truly exist as meritorious deeds and yield results, then please explain that to me.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames a dharma-inquiry: whether and how meritorious actions—charity, sacrifice, austerity, and service to teachers—produce definite results. It introduces the ethical principle of karmic fruition (that deeds are meaningful and bear consequences) and asks for authoritative clarification from Bhīṣma.
In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira, seeking guidance after the war, addresses Bhīṣma as ‘Grandfather’ and requests an explanation of the fruits of virtuous practices such as dāna, yajña, tapas, and guru-service.