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Shloka 1

Ācāra-vidhi (Rules of Conduct) — Yudhiṣṭhira’s Inquiry and Bhīṣma’s Normative Catalogue

Devanagari script

/ अपने-आप बछ। अर: पज्चाशीर्त्याधिकशततमो< ध्याय: शरीरके भीतर जठरानल तथा प्राण-अपान आदि वायुओंकी स्थिति आदिका वर्णन भरद्वाज उवाच पार्थिवं धातुमासाद्य शारीरो3ग्नि: कथं प्रभो । अवकाशविशेषेण कथं वर्तयतेडनिल:,भरद्वाजने पूछा--प्रभो! शरीरके भीतर रहनेवाली अग्नि पार्थिव धातु (पांचभौतिक देह) का आश्रय लेकर कैसे रहती है और वायु भी उसी पार्थिव धातुका आश्रय लेकर अवकाश-विशेषके द्वारा देहको कैसे चेष्टाशील बनाती है?

Transliteration

bharadvāja uvāca | pārthivaṁ dhātum āsādya śārīro 'gniḥ kathaṁ prabho | avakāśa-viśeṣeṇa kathaṁ vartayate 'nilaḥ ||

Translation

Bharadvāja berkata: “Wahai Tuan, bagaimana api jasmani (agni dalam tubuh) berdiam dengan bersandar pada unsur kebumian—landasan material tubuh? Dan bagaimana angin hayat (anila), melalui ruang-ruang khusus dalam tubuh, bekerja dan menggerakkan tubuh dengan bersandar pada unsur kebumian itu?”

Word by Word

भरद्वाजःBharadvaja

उवाचsaid

पार्थिवम्earthly, made of earth

धातुम्constituent/element; bodily constituent

आसाद्यhaving reached/attained; taking refuge in

शारीरःbodily, in the body

अग्निःfire (digestive fire)

कथम्how?

प्रभोO lord/sir

अवकाश-विशेषेणby a particular space/cavity (in the body)

कथम्how?

वर्तयतेfunctions/operates; causes to proceed

अनिलःwind; vital air (vāyu)

Speaker

भरद्वाज उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bharadvāja

Agni (bodily fire)

Anila/Vāyu (vital wind)

Pārthiva-dhātu (earthly bodily constituent)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an inquiry into how life is sustained in the body: digestion/metabolism (agni) and vital motion (vāyu) depend on a material substrate (dhātu) and operate through defined internal spaces. It sets up a dharma-oriented, contemplative explanation of embodied existence as an ordered system rather than mere chance.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, the sage Bharadvāja asks a revered teacher to explain the inner workings of the body—specifically how the bodily fire and the vital winds function within the physical elements—preparing for a detailed discourse on prāṇa, apāna, and related principles.