Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अपन क्राता बछ। आर: द्विपज्चाशर्दाधिकत्रिशततमो< ध्याय: नारदके द्वारा इन्द्रको उज्छवृत्तिवाले ब्राह्णकी कथा सुनानेका उपक्रम युधिछिर उवाच धर्मा: पितामहेनोक्ता मोक्षधर्माश्रिता: शुभा: | धर्ममाश्रमिणां श्रेष्ठ वक्तुमहति मे भवान्‌,युधिष्ठिरने कहा--पितामह! आपके बतलाये हुए कल्याणमय मोक्षसम्बन्धी धर्मोका मैंने श्रवण किया। अब आप आश्रमधर्मोंका पालन करनेवाले मनुष्योंके लिये जो सबसे उत्तम धर्म हो, उसका उपदेश करें

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca—dharmāḥ pitāmahenoktā mokṣadharmāśritāḥ śubhāḥ | dharmam āśramiṇāṃ śreṣṭhaṃ vaktum arhati me bhavān ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Grandfather, I have heard the auspicious teachings on dharma that you have expounded—teachings grounded in the path of liberation. Now, please instruct me on the highest dharma for those who live according to the disciplines of the āśramas (stages of life).”

Word by Word

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

उवाचsaid

धर्माःduties; dharmas

पितामहेनby (you,) O grandsire

उक्ताःspoken; declared

मोक्षधर्माश्रिताःbased on the dharmas of liberation

शुभाःauspicious; beneficial

धर्मम्duty; dharma

आश्रमिणाम्of those who follow an āśrama (life-stage discipline)

श्रेष्ठम्best; most excellent

वक्तुम्to speak; to explain

अर्हतिis fit; deserves

मेto me; for me

भवान्you (honorific)

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

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Yudhiṣṭhira requests a hierarchy of dharma: having heard liberation-oriented teachings, he now asks Bhīṣma to state the सर्वोत्तम (highest) dharma specifically for those living within the āśrama system—implying a synthesis of social duty and spiritual aim.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira continues his inquiry to Bhīṣma. After listening to mokṣa-dharma, he turns to practical guidance: which form of conduct is supreme for people committed to the disciplines of the life-stages (student, householder, forest-dweller, renunciant).