Mahabharata — Anushasana Parva, Shloka 10

Devanagari script

युधिछिर उवाच प्रत्यक्ष लोकतः सिद्धिलोकश्नागमपूर्वक: । शिष्टाचारो बहुविधस्तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca | pratyakṣaṁ lokataḥ siddhir anumāna-āgama-pūrvakaḥ | śiṣṭācāro bahuvidhas tan me brūhi pitāmaha ||

Translation

Dijo Yudhiṣṭhira: «Abuelo, son muchos los medios por los que los hombres establecen lo que es recto: la percepción directa, lo que en la vida común se tiene por probado, la inferencia sostenida por la Escritura y la tradición, y las diversas prácticas de los cultos. Dime, oh Pitāmaha: ¿cuál de ellos es la autoridad más fuerte para determinar el dharma?»

Word by Word

• {'yudhiṣṭhira uvāca': 'Yudhiṣṭhira said', 'pratyakṣam': 'direct perception

• what is seen/experienced firsthand', 'lokataḥ': 'from the world

• from common usage/people', 'siddhiḥ': 'established conclusion

• something accepted as proven', 'anumāna': 'inference

• reasoning from signs', 'āgama': 'authoritative tradition/scripture

• received teaching', 'pūrvakaḥ': 'preceded by

• based upon', 'śiṣṭācāraḥ': 'conduct/custom of the learned and well-bred

• normative practice', 'bahuvidhaḥ': 'of many kinds

• diverse', 'tan me brūhi': 'tell that to me', 'pitāmaha': 'grandfather

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Yudhiṣṭhira
• Pitāmaha (Bhīṣma)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames a key dharma-question: when multiple authorities exist—perception, common worldly acceptance, inference, scripture/tradition, and the conduct of the learned—which should be treated as decisive. It sets up a hierarchy-of-pramāṇas discussion for ethical decision-making.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Anuśāsana Parva dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira respectfully questions Bhīṣma (Pitāmaha) about how to judge dharma when different kinds of evidence and social norms appear to conflict, asking which authority is strongest.