Shloka 61
Dharma-śaṅkā-nivāraṇa: Yudhiṣṭhira’s Response on Karma-Phala and Trust in Dharma
नीतिं बृहस्पतिप्रोक्तां भ्रातृन् मे5ग्राहयत् पुरा । तेषां सकाशादश्रौषमहमेतां तदा गृहे,भरतमश्रेष्ठ! पूर्वकालमें मेरे पिताजीने अपने घरपर एक दविद्दान् ब्राह्मणको ठहराया था। उन्होंने ही पिताजीसे बृहस्पतिजीकी बतायी हुई इस सम्पूर्ण नीतिका प्रतिपादन किया था और मेरे भाइयोंको भी इसीकी शिक्षा दी थी। उस समय अपने भाइयोंके निकट रहकर घरमें ही मैंने भी उस नीतिको सुना था
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | nītiṃ bṛhaspati-proktāṃ bhrātṝn me ’grāhayat purā | teṣāṃ sakāśād aśrauṣam aham etāṃ tadā gṛhe, bharata-śreṣṭha |
Yudhiṣṭhira said: “Formerly, my brothers were instructed in the code of conduct taught by Bṛhaspati. Staying near them, I too heard that teaching at home at that time, O best of the Bharatas.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
That nīti—practical ethical wisdom guiding conduct and governance—should be learned from authoritative tradition (here attributed to Bṛhaspati) and transmitted through disciplined instruction; Yudhiṣṭhira emphasizes that his understanding of dharma is grounded in such received teaching.
Yudhiṣṭhira recalls an earlier time when his brothers were formally taught Bṛhaspati’s nīti, and he himself listened in their company at home—establishing his credibility and the traditional basis for the ethical discussion in the surrounding dialogue.