Shloka 9
Adhyāya 290: Sāṃkhya-vidhi, Deha-doṣa, Guṇa-vicāra, and Mokṣa-gati
Bhīṣma–Yudhiṣṭhira Dialogue
सभी आश्रमोंके लोग उस धर्ममें ही स्थित रहकर इस जगत्में अपने-अपने कर्मोंका अनुष्ठान करते हैं ।। चतुर्विधा हि लोकेडस्मिन् यात्रा तात विधीयते । मर्त्या यत्रावतिष्ठन्ते सा च कामात् प्रवर्तते,तात! इस लोकमें चार प्रकारकी जीविकाका विधान है (ब्राह्मणके लिये यज्ञादि कराकर दक्षिणा लेना, क्षत्रियके लिये कर लेना, वैश्यके लिये खेती आदि करना और शाद्रके लिये तीनों वर्णॉंकी सेवा करना)। मनुष्य इन्हीं चार प्रकारकी जीविकाओंका आश्रय लेकर रहते हैं। वह जीविका दैवेच्छासे चलती है
caturvidhā hi loke 'smin yātrā tāta vidhīyate | martyā yatrāvatiṣṭhante sā ca kāmāt pravartate, tāta || sarvāśramāṇāṃ lokā dharme tasminn eva sthitvā iha loke sva-sva-karmānuṣṭhānaṃ kurvanti ||
Parāśara said: “Dear child, in this world a fourfold means of livelihood is laid down. Mortals take their stand upon these ways of living, and their activity proceeds from desire. Remaining established within their own dharma, people of all āśramas carry out in this world the performance of their respective duties.”
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Human society functions through prescribed modes of livelihood and duty: people should remain grounded in their own dharma and perform their proper work, while recognizing that ordinary worldly activity is often driven by kāma (desire).
In the didactic discourse of Śānti Parva, the sage Parāśara instructs his listener (addressed as “tāta”) about how people in the world sustain themselves and how all āśramas continue their respective duties within the framework of dharma.