Shloka 6

Devanagari script

सर्वभूतपरित्राणं क्षत्रधर्म इहोच्यते । वैश्यानां यज्ञसंवृत्तिरातिथेियसमन्विता,इस जगत्‌में समस्त प्राणियोंकी रक्षा करना क्षत्रिय-धर्म बताया जाता है। अतिथि- सत्कारके साथ-साथ यज्ञोंका अनुष्ठान करना वैश्योंका धर्म कहा गया है

Transliteration

sarvabhūta-paritrāṇaṁ kṣatra-dharma iha ucyate | vaiśyānāṁ yajña-saṁvṛttir ātithya-samanvitā ||

Translation

Bhīṣma dijo: «En este mundo se declara que el deber del kṣatriya es la protección y salvaguarda de todos los seres vivos. Para el vaiśya, el deber prescrito es la correcta realización y mantenimiento de los sacrificios (yajña), junto con la honra debida a los huéspedes.»

Word by Word

सर्वभूतपरित्राणम्protection of all beings

क्षत्रधर्मःthe Kshatriya duty

इहhere (in this world/teaching)

उच्यतेis said / is called

वैश्यानाम्of the Vaishyas

यज्ञसंवृत्तिःengagement/occupation in sacrifices

आतिथेयसमन्विताaccompanied by hospitality to guests

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

kṣatriya

vaiśya

yajña

ātithya

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma defines class-based duties: the kṣatriya’s central obligation is universal protection (public safety and guardianship of beings), while the vaiśya’s is sustaining sacrificial/religious economy and social cohesion through yajña and hospitality.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma after the war. Here he succinctly states the normative duties of the kṣatriya and vaiśya as part of a broader teaching on social order and righteous conduct.