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Shloka 16

दैव–पुरुषकार-प्रश्नः

Daiva–Puruṣakāra Inquiry: Fate and Human Effort

शौचेन लभते विे्र: क्षत्रियो विक्रमेण तु । वैश्य: पुरुषकारेण शूद्र: शुश्रूषया श्रियम्‌,ब्राह्मण शौचाचारसे, क्षत्रिय पराक्रमसे, वैश्य उद्योगसे तथा शूद्र तीनों वर्णोकी सेवासे सम्पत्ति पाता है

śaucena labhate vipraḥ kṣatriyo vikrameṇa tu | vaiśyaḥ puruṣakāreṇa śūdraḥ śuśrūṣayā śriyam ||

Dijo Bhīṣma: «Un brāhmaṇa alcanza la prosperidad mediante la pureza y la conducta disciplinada; un kṣatriya, mediante el valor y el esfuerzo heroico; un vaiśya, mediante la laboriosidad y la empresa; y un śūdra, mediante el servicio devoto. Así, cada orden social llega al bienestar practicando fielmente su propio medio adecuado».

शौचेनby purity/cleanliness
शौचेन:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootशौच
FormNeuter, Instrumental, Singular
लभतेobtains
लभते:
TypeVerb
Rootलभ्
FormPresent (Lat), Third, Singular, Atmanepada
विप्रःa brahmin
विप्रः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootविप्र
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
क्षत्रियःa kshatriya
क्षत्रियः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootक्षत्रिय
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
विक्रमेणby valor/heroic effort
विक्रमेण:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootविक्रम
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
तुbut/indeed
तु:
TypeIndeclinable
Rootतु
वैश्यःa vaishya
वैश्यः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootवैश्य
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
पुरुषकारेणby personal effort/enterprise
पुरुषकारेण:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootपुरुषकार
FormMasculine, Instrumental, Singular
शूद्रःa shudra
शूद्रः:
Karta
TypeNoun
Rootशूद्र
FormMasculine, Nominative, Singular
शुश्रूषयाby service/attendance
शुश्रूषया:
Karana
TypeNoun
Rootशुश्रूषा
FormFeminine, Instrumental, Singular
श्रियम्prosperity/wealth
श्रियम्:
Karma
TypeNoun
Rootश्री
FormFeminine, Accusative, Singular

भीष्म उवाच

B
Bhīṣma
V
vipra (brāhmaṇa)
K
kṣatriya
V
vaiśya
Ś
śūdra
Ś
śrī (prosperity/fortune)

Educational Q&A

Prosperity and well-being arise when each varṇa follows its appropriate discipline: purity and right conduct for the brāhmaṇa, valor for the kṣatriya, industrious effort for the vaiśya, and devoted service for the śūdra.

In the Anuśāsana Parva, Bhīṣma instructs on dharma and proper conduct. Here he summarizes how different social orders are expected to pursue prosperity through their characteristic virtues and duties.