Shloka 1

Devanagari script

अपर - पूर्णपात्रका परिमाण इस प्रकार है--आठ मुदठ्ठी अन्नको 'किंचित” कहते हैं, आठ किंचित्‌का एक 'पुष्कल' होता है और चार पुष्कलका एक '(पूर्णपात्र” होता है। इस प्रकार दे सौ छप्पन मुद्ठीका एक पूर्णपात्र होता है। एकषष्टितमो< ध्याय: आश्रम-धर्मका वर्णन भीष्म उवाच आश्रमाणां महाबाहो शृणु सत्यपराक्रम । चतुर्णामपि नामानि कर्माणि च युधिष्ठिर,भीष्मजी कहते हैं--सत्यपराक्रमी महाबाहु युधिष्ठिर! अब तुम चारों आश्रमोंके नाम और कर्म सुनो

Transliteration

bhīṣma uvāca |

āśramāṇāṃ mahābāho śṛṇu satyaparākrama |

caturṇām api nāmāni karmāṇi ca yudhiṣṭhira ||

Translation

Bhishma said: “O mighty-armed Yudhishthira, whose valor is grounded in truth—now listen. I shall tell you the names of the four āśramas (stages of life) and the duties that belong to each.”

Word by Word

आश्रमाणाम्of the āśramas (stages of life)

महाबाहोO mighty-armed one

शृणुhear (listen)

सत्यपराक्रमO one whose valor is true (steadfast in prowess)

चतुर्णाम्of the four

अपिalso/even

नामानिnames

कर्माणिduties/acts

चand

युधिष्ठिरO Yudhiṣṭhira

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Yudhiṣṭhira

Āśramas (four life-stages)

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhishma introduces a structured account of āśrama-dharma: the four life-stages and the specific duties (karmāṇi) appropriate to each, presenting dharma as an ordered, role-based discipline.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s instruction to the newly enthroned Yudhishthira, Bhishma begins a new section by inviting him to listen as he enumerates the four āśramas and explains their respective obligations.