Shloka 47
Udyoga-parva Adhyāya 71 — Kṣatra-dharma Counsel, Public Legitimacy, and Mobilization
शूद्र: करोति शुश्रूषां वैश्या वै पण्यजीविका: । वयं वधेन जीवाम: कपाल ब्राह्मुणैर्व॒तम्
śūdraḥ karoti śuśrūṣāṃ vaiśyā vai paṇyajīvikāḥ | vayaṃ vadhena jīvāmaḥ kapālaṃ brāhmaṇair vratam ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Śūdra hidup dari pengabdian; Vaiśya hidup dari perdagangan. Kami para Kṣatriya menegakkan hidup dengan membunuh lawan di medan perang; dan para Brāhmaṇa menjadikan mangkuk sedekah sebagai laku-ikrar untuk penghidupan mereka.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse frames livelihood as aligned with varṇa-based duties: service for Śūdras, commerce for Vaiśyas, protection/war for Kṣatriyas (even when it entails killing), and austere dependence (begging-bowl) for Brāhmaṇas. It highlights how dharma is often discussed in terms of socially assigned responsibilities and disciplined restraint.
In Udyoga Parva’s pre-war deliberations, Yudhiṣṭhira reflects on the customary means of livelihood for the four varṇas. His statement underscores the moral tension of impending conflict by explicitly naming the Kṣatriya’s harsh vocation—living by battle and killing—alongside the contrasting austerity attributed to Brāhmaṇas.