Shloka 10

Saṃhāra-krama (The Sequence of Cosmic Dissolution) — Yājñavalkya’s Discourse

Devanagari script

युधिछिर उवाच यदि तुल्य॑ व्रतं शौच॑ दया चात्र फलं तथा । न तुल्य॑ दर्शनं कस्मात्‌ तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह,युधिष्ठिरने पूछा--पितामह! यदि इन दोनों मतोंमें उत्तम व्रत, बाहर-भीतरकी पवित्रता और दया समान है एवं दोनोंका परिणाम भी एक ही है तो इनके दर्शनमें समानता क्‍यों नहीं है, यह मुझे बताइये

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: yadi tulyaṃ vrataṃ śaucaṃ dayā cātra phalaṃ tathā | na tulyaṃ darśanaṃ kasmāt tan me brūhi pitāmaha ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Grandfather, if in these two viewpoints the excellence of vows, inner and outer purity, and compassion are equal—and their result is likewise the same—then why are their philosophical standpoints not identical? Please explain this to me.”

Word by Word

• {'yadi': 'if', 'tulyam': 'equal, the same', 'vratam': 'vow

• ethical restraint', 'śaucam': 'purity, cleanliness (external and internal)', 'dayā': 'compassion, mercy, non-cruelty', 'atra': 'here

• in this matter/context', 'phalam': 'fruit, result, outcome', 'tathā': 'so

• in the same manner', 'na': 'not', 'darśanam': 'viewpoint

• philosophical system', 'kasmāt': 'why? from what cause?', 'tat': 'that (matter)', 'me': 'to me', 'brūhi': 'tell

• explain', 'pitāmaha': 'grandfather (address to Bhīṣma)'}

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Pitāmaha (Bhīṣma)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Yudhiṣṭhira highlights a key dharma-philosophy problem: even when two paths share the same ethical disciplines (vows, purity, compassion) and promise the same spiritual result, their underlying doctrines (darśana) may still differ in principles, metaphysics, or method. He asks Bhīṣma to clarify the cause of doctrinal divergence despite ethical and soteriological similarity.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira respectfully questions his elder teacher Bhīṣma (“Pitāmaha”). He compares two positions previously discussed and, noticing that their practices and outcomes appear equal, asks why their philosophical ‘views’ are not the same.