Shloka 58
युधिछिर उवाच देवतातिथिभृत्यानां पितृणामात्मनश्न यः । न निर्वपति पज्चानामुच्छवसन् न स जीवति
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca: devatātithibhṛtyānāṃ pitṝṇām ātmanaś ca yaḥ | na nirvapati pañcānām ucchvasan na sa jīvati ||
Yudhiṣṭhira menjawab: “Seseorang yang tidak mempersembahkan bagian yang semestinya kepada lima pihak—para dewa, tamu, para pelayan/tanggungan, para leluhur, dan dirinya sendiri—meski ia masih bernapas, sesungguhnya ia tidak hidup.”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
True life is defined by dharma: one must regularly discharge the five fundamental obligations—toward gods (worship/offerings), guests (hospitality), dependents (care and support), ancestors (rites and remembrance), and oneself (right self-maintenance). Mere breathing without these duties is ethically empty.
In the Vana Parva’s dharma-discourse setting, Yudhiṣṭhira articulates a moral standard for household and social life, emphasizing that a person’s worth is measured by fulfilling essential reciprocal duties rather than by mere survival.