Shloka 2

Devanagari script

सेव्यं तु ब्रह्म षट्‌्कर्म गृहस्थेन मनीषिणा । कृतकृत्यस्य चारण्ये वासो विप्रस्य शस्यते,मनीषी ब्राह्मण यदि गृहस्थ हो तो उसके लिये वेदोंका अभ्यास और यजन-याजन आदि छ:कर्म ही सेवन करने योग्य हैं। गृहस्थ आश्रमका उद्देश्य पूर्ण कर लेनेपर ब्राह्मणके लिये (वानप्रस्थी होकर) वनमें निवास करना उत्तम माना गया है

Transliteration

sevyam tu brahma ṣaṭ-karma gṛhasthena manīṣiṇā | kṛtakṛtyasya cāraṇye vāso viprasya śasyate ||

Translation

Bhīṣma said: For a discerning householder, what should be pursued is sacred Vedic learning together with the six duties—such as performing sacrifice and officiating for others. And when the aims of the householder stage have been fulfilled, it is praised for a brāhmaṇa to dwell in the forest, adopting the life of withdrawal and discipline.

Word by Word

• {'sevyam': 'to be practiced

• worthy of pursuit', 'tu': 'indeed

• but (emphatic/contrastive particle)', 'brahma': 'the Veda

• sacred knowledge (brahma in the sense of Vedic lore)', 'ṣaṭ-karma': 'the six duties of a brāhmaṇa (traditionally: adhyayana, adhyāpana, yajana, yājana, dāna, pratigraha)', 'gṛhasthena': 'by/for the householder (in the gṛhastha-āśrama)', 'manīṣiṇā': 'by the wise/discerning person', 'kṛtakṛtyasya': 'of one who has accomplished what is to be done

• who has fulfilled obligations', 'ca': 'and', 'āraṇye': 'in the forest

• in a woodland hermitage setting', 'vāsaḥ': 'dwelling

• residence', 'viprasya': 'of a brāhmaṇa

• of a learned priest', 'śasyate': 'is praised

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• vipra (brāhmaṇa)
• gṛhastha (householder)
• āraṇya (forest)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

A wise brāhmaṇa should, while living as a householder, devote himself to Vedic learning and the six prescribed duties; after fulfilling household obligations, he is commended to withdraw to forest life (vanaprastha) as a disciplined next stage.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Bhīṣma’s instruction on dharma in the Śānti Parva, he outlines the proper conduct across life-stages, specifically prescribing the householder’s religious responsibilities and then recommending forest-dwelling once those responsibilities are completed.