Shanti Parva Adhyaya 234 Shloka 11 - Mahabharata | French | Vedapath

Vyasa

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Shloka 11

Āśrama-dharma and Brahmacarya: Śuka’s Inquiry on Karma and Tyāga (शुक-प्रश्नः कर्मत्यागविवेकश्च)

Devanagari script

अध्यापयेदधीयीत याजयेत यजेत वा । न वृथा प्रतिगृह्लीयान्न च दद्यात्‌ कथंचन

Transliteration

adhyāpayed adhīyīta yājayet yajeta vā | na vṛthā pratigṛhṇīyān na ca dadyāt kathaṃcana ||

Translation

Vyāsa dit : « Un brāhmaṇa doit subsister grâce aux six devoirs reconnus : étudier et enseigner, sacrifier et officier pour autrui, donner et recevoir des dons. Pourtant, il ne doit jamais accepter des présents de façon indue ou sans raison, et il ne doit jamais faire l’aumône de manière vaine ou indiscriminée. »

Word by Word

अध्यापयेत्should teach (make others study)

अधीयीतshould study

याजयेत्should cause (others) to sacrifice / officiate

यजेतshould sacrifice

वाor

नnot

वृथाin vain / improperly / without purpose

प्रतिगृह्लीयात्should accept/receive (as a gift)

नnor / not

चand

दद्यात्should give

कथंचनin any way / at all (emphatic)

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vyāsa

brāhmaṇa (as a social-religious role)

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?

The verse defines the legitimate means of livelihood and conduct for a brāhmaṇa—study/teaching and sacrifice/officiating, along with giving/receiving gifts—while placing strict ethical limits: do not accept improper gifts, and do not give charity wastefully or indiscriminately.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s dharma instruction, Vyāsa lays down normative rules of right conduct, focusing here on regulated economic and ritual behavior—how one should teach, perform rites, and handle gifts so that livelihood remains aligned with dharma.