Shloka 108

Devanagari script

युधिछिर उवाच शृणु यक्ष कुलं तात न स्वाध्यायो न च श्रुतम्‌ । कारणं हि द्विजत्वे च वृत्तमेव न संशय:

Transliteration

Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: śṛṇu yakṣa kulaṃ tāta na svādhyāyo na ca śrutam | kāraṇaṃ hi dvijatve ca vṛttam eva na saṃśayaḥ ||

Translation

Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Listen, O Yakṣa, dear one: neither Vedic self-study nor mere learning by hearing is the true cause of brahminhood. The real ground of being a ‘twice-born’ is conduct alone—of this there is no doubt.”

Word by Word

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

उवाचsaid

शृणुlisten

यक्षO Yakṣa

कुलम्lineage, family

तातO dear one / O father (term of address)

नnot

स्वाध्यायःVedic study, self-recitation

नnor / not

चand

श्रुतम्learning, what is heard (scriptural learning)

कारणम्cause

हिindeed, for

द्विजत्वेin (the state of) being a twice-born

चand

वृत्तम्conduct, behavior

एवalone, indeed

नnot

संशयःdoubt

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

Yakṣa

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?

Brahminhood (and true ‘twice-born’ status) is determined primarily by ethical conduct (vṛtta), not by mere scriptural study (svādhyāya) or accumulated learning (śruta) without character.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Yakṣa-prashna episode, Yudhiṣṭhira answers the Yakṣa’s probing questions about dharma and human excellence; here he asserts that moral conduct is the decisive mark of a true dvija, surpassing mere scholarship.