Shloka 25

Devanagari script

कर्म शूद्रे कृषिर्वैंश्ये संग्राम: क्षत्रिये स्मृत: । ब्रह्मचर्य तपो मन्त्रा: सत्यं च ब्राह्मणे सदा,शूद्रका कर्तव्य है सेवा-कर्म, वैश्यका कार्य है खेती और युद्ध करना क्षत्रियका कर्म माना गया है। ब्रह्मचर्य, तपस्या, मन्त्र-जप, वेदाध्ययन तथा सत्यईभाषण--ये सदा ब्राह्मणके पालन करनेयोग्य धर्म हैं

Transliteration

karma śūdre kṛṣir vaiśye saṅgrāmaḥ kṣatriye smṛtaḥ | brahmacaryaṁ tapo mantrāḥ satyaṁ ca brāhmaṇe sadā ||

Translation

Service and labor are prescribed as the work of the Śūdra; agriculture (and trade) are the livelihood of the Vaiśya; and battle is remembered as the duty of the Kṣatriya. For the Brāhmaṇa, however, the constant disciplines are brahmacarya, austerity, sacred recitation (and Vedic study), and truthfulness.

Word by Word

• {'karma': 'work

• prescribed occupation', 'śūdra': 'member of the Śūdra order

• servant/laborer class in varṇa framework', 'kṛṣi': 'agriculture

• cultivation', 'vaiśya': 'member of the Vaiśya order

• agriculturist/trader', 'saṅgrāma': 'battle

• armed conflict', 'kṣatriya': 'member of the Kṣatriya order

• ruler/warrior', 'smṛtaḥ': 'is remembered/declared (by tradition)

• is prescribed', 'brahmacarya': 'celibate discipline

• regulated conduct', 'tapas': 'austerity

• disciplined effort', 'mantrāḥ': 'sacred formulas

• mantra-practice', 'satya': 'truth

• integrity in speech and conduct', 'brāhmaṇa (brāhmaṇe)': 'member of the Brāhmaṇa order

• priestly/teaching class (locative: ‘for/in the brāhmaṇa’)', 'sadā': 'always

Speaker

व्याध उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyādha (the hunter)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse outlines varṇa-based duties and virtues: each social role has its prescribed work, while the Brāhmaṇa is especially bound to disciplines like brahmacarya, tapas, mantra-recitation, and unwavering truthfulness—presenting dharma as both outer responsibility and inner moral restraint.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Vana Parva’s dialogue context, the hunter (Vyādha) instructs a listener on dharma, using a traditional classification of duties to emphasize that righteousness is maintained by faithfully performing one’s role and cultivating virtues such as truth.