Shloka 1
चिरकारि-उपाख्यानम् / The Exemplum of Cirakārī: Deliberation Before Irreversible Action
ऑपन---#र< बक। ] अत्शऑशाएड<ह एकोनषष्टर्याधिकद्विशततमो< ध्याय: धर्माधर्मके स्वरूपका निर्णय युधिषछ्िर उवाच इमे वै मानवा: सर्वे धर्म प्रति विशड्किता: । को<थयं धर्म: कुतो धर्मस्तन्मे ब्रूहि पितामह
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: ime vai mānavāḥ sarve dharmaṃ prati viśaṅkitāḥ | ko ’yaṃ dharmaḥ kuto dharmas tan me brūhi pitāmaha ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai Kakek, semua manusia sungguh diliputi keraguan tentang dharma. Apakah dharma itu sesungguhnya—dan dari manakah dharma berasal? Mohon jelaskan kepadaku.”
युधिषछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames dharma as a subject that naturally generates uncertainty and therefore requires careful inquiry and authoritative instruction; it introduces a foundational question: the nature of dharma and its source.
In the Śānti Parva’s didactic setting, Yudhiṣṭhira approaches Bhīṣma as a revered elder-teacher and asks him to clarify what dharma truly is and where it originates, since people are commonly confused about it.