Shloka 9
Ahiṃsā as Threefold Restraint (Mind–Speech–Action) and the Ethics of Consumption
युधिछिर उवाच भगवन् सर्वधर्मज्ञ सर्वशास्त्रविशारद | मर्त्यस्य क: सहायो वै पिता माता सुतो गुरु:
yudhiṣṭhira uvāca bhagavan sarvadharmajña sarvaśāstraviśārada | martyasya kaḥ sahāyo vai pitā mātā suto guruḥ ||
Yudhiṣṭhira dijo: “Oh venerable, conocedor de todo dharma y versado en cada śāstra: ¿quién es, en verdad, el auxiliador de un mortal? ¿El padre, la madre, el hijo o el maestro?”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames an ethical inquiry into the true source of support for a human being. By listing father, mother, son, and guru, it invites reflection on whether worldly relations or spiritual-ethical guidance constitutes one’s real refuge—preparing the ground for a dharma-centered answer about lasting support.
Yudhiṣṭhira respectfully addresses a revered authority on dharma and śāstra and asks a pointed question: among close family ties and the teacher, who is genuinely a mortal’s helper. This functions as a lead-in to instruction on duty, dependence, and the hierarchy of supports in life.