Shloka 83
Gārhasthya-Śreṣṭhatā and Kṣatriya-Daṇḍadhāraṇa
Householder Primacy and the Royal Duty of Punishment
ब्राह्मणानां महाराज चेष्टा संसिद्धिकारिका | महाराज! तप
vyāsa uvāca | brāhmaṇānāṃ mahārāja ceṣṭā saṃsiddhi-kārikā | tapaḥ yajñaḥ vidyā bhikṣā indriya-saṃyamaḥ dhyānam ekānta-vāsaḥ svabhāvaḥ santoṣaḥ yathā-śakti śāstra-jñānam—ete sarve guṇāś ca ceṣṭāś ca brāhmaṇebhyaḥ siddhi-pradāḥ |
व्यासजी बोले—महाराज! ब्राह्मणों की साधनाएँ ही सिद्धि देने वाली हैं। तप, यज्ञ, विद्या, भिक्षा, इन्द्रिय-संयम, ध्यान, एकान्तवास की स्वाभाविक प्रवृत्ति, संतोष और यथाशक्ति शास्त्र-ज्ञान—ये सब गुण और चेष्टाएँ ब्राह्मणों को धर्म-पथ में सफलता देती हैं।
व्यास उवाच
Educational Q&A
Vyāsa defines the Brahmin’s path to ‘siddhi’ (spiritual accomplishment) as a set of virtues and disciplines: austerity, sacrificial duty, learning, humble livelihood through alms, sense-restraint, meditation, solitude, contentment, and scriptural understanding suited to one’s capacity.
In the instruction-focused setting of the Śānti Parva, Vyāsa addresses the king and outlines the practices that characterize Brahmin conduct, presenting them as the means to inner success and stability in dharma.