Shloka 6

Devanagari script

सर्वभूतपरित्राणं क्षत्रधर्म इहोच्यते । वैश्यानां यज्ञसंवृत्तिरातिथेियसमन्विता

Transliteration

sarvabhūta-paritrāṇaṁ kṣatra-dharma iha ucyate | vaiśyānāṁ yajña-saṁvṛttir ātithya-samanvitā ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: “In this world, the duty of the kṣatriya is declared to be the protection and safeguarding of all living beings. For the vaiśya, the prescribed duty is the proper conduct and maintenance of sacrificial rites, together with the honoring of guests.”

Word by Word

• सर्वभूतपरित्राणम्: protection of all beings
• सर्वभूतपरित्राणम्: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: सर्वभूतपरित्राण
• Form: Neuter, Nominative, Singular

• क्षत्रधर्मः: the Kshatriya duty
• क्षत्रधर्मः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: क्षत्रधर्म
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• इह: here (in this world/teaching)
• इह: Adhikarana
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: इह

• उच्यते: is said / is called
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच्
• Form: Present, Passive, Third, Singular

• वैश्यानाम्: of the Vaishyas
• वैश्यानाम्: Sampradana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वैश्य
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• यज्ञसंवृत्तिः: engagement/occupation in sacrifices
• यज्ञसंवृत्तिः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: यज्ञसंवृत्ति
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

• आतिथेयसमन्विता: accompanied by hospitality to guests
• Type: Adjective
• Root: आतिथेयसमन्वित
• Form: Feminine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• kṣatriya
• vaiśya
• yajña
• ātithya

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma defines class-based duties: the kṣatriya’s central obligation is universal protection (public safety and guardianship of beings), while the vaiśya’s is sustaining sacrificial/religious economy and social cohesion through yajña and hospitality.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma after the war. Here he succinctly states the normative duties of the kṣatriya and vaiśya as part of a broader teaching on social order and righteous conduct.