Shloka 5
दान-धर्म-आश्रमविधानम्
Dana, Dharma, and the Four Āśramas
भरद्वाज उवाच कथं सलिलमुत्पन्नं कथं चैवाग्निमारुतौ | कथं वा मेदिनी सूष्टेत्यत्र मे संशयो महान्
bharadvāja uvāca kathaṃ salilam utpannaṃ kathaṃ caivāgnimārutau | kathaṃ vā medinī sṛṣṭety atra me saṃśayo mahān |
Bharadvāja dit : «Comment l’eau vint-elle à l’existence ? Comment, en vérité, le feu et le vent furent-ils produits ? Et comment la terre fut-elle façonnée ? Sur ces points, un grand doute me saisit.»
भरद्वाज उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse models a disciplined philosophical inquiry: when foundational questions about the world’s origin arise, one should articulate doubts clearly and seek a reasoned account rather than accept assumptions.
In Śānti Parva’s reflective setting, the sage Bharadvāja raises a cosmological question, asking how the basic elements—water, fire, wind, and earth—were created, indicating he seeks a systematic explanation from the interlocutor.