Shloka 8
Gārhasthya-Śreṣṭhatā and Kṣatriya-Daṇḍadhāraṇa
Householder Primacy and the Royal Duty of Punishment
तपो यज्ञस्तथा विद्या भैक्ष्यमिन्द्रियसंयम: । ध्यानमेकान्तशीलव्वं तुष्टिज्ञानं च शक्तित:
tapo yajñas tathā vidyā bhaikṣyam indriya-saṁyamaḥ | dhyānam ekānta-śīlatvaṁ tuṣṭi-jñānaṁ ca śaktitaḥ ||
Vyāsa said: “Austerity, sacrifice, and learning; living on alms and restraint of the senses; meditation, a habit of solitude, and contentment together with true understanding—these are to be cultivated according to one’s capacity.”
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse lists core disciplines of dharmic life—tapas (austerity), yajña (sacrificial duty), vidyā (learning), mendicant simplicity, sense-restraint, meditation, solitude, contentment, and knowledge—and emphasizes practicing them in proportion to one’s capacity (śaktitaḥ), balancing effort with sustainability.
In the didactic setting of the Śānti Parva, Vyāsa is instructing on the means to peace and righteousness after the war, outlining a graded set of practices that cultivate inner steadiness and ethical conduct rather than merely external observance.