Shloka 32

Bhīṣma on the Śara-Śayyā: Yudhiṣṭhira and Kṛṣṇa Approach the Eldest for Śānti

Devanagari script

चातुराश्रम्यसंयुक्ता: सर्वे ते विदितास्तव । चातुर्विद्यि च ये प्रोक्ता श्चातुर्होत्रे च भारत,“भारत! शाम्त्रोंमें चारों वर्णों और आश्रमोंके लिये जो-जो धर्म बताये गये हैं, वे सब आपको विदित हैं। चारों विद्याओंमें जिन धर्मोंका प्रतिपादन किया गया है तथा चारों होताओंके जो कर्तव्य बताये गये हैं, वे भी आपको ज्ञात हैं

Transliteration

vaiśampāyana uvāca |

cāturāśramya-saṁyuktāḥ sarve te viditās tava |

cāturvidyāś ca ye proktāś cāturhotre ca bhārata ||

Translation

ヴァイシャンパーヤナは言った。「おおバーラタよ、四つのアーシュラマと四つのヴァルナに結びつくあらゆる務めは、すでに汝の知るところである。さらに、四つの聖なる学（ヴェーダの学）に説かれる理法と、祭儀における四人の祭官に課せられた責務も、汝は知っている。」

Word by Word

चातुराश्रम्यसंयुक्ताःconnected with the four āśramas (and their system)

सर्वेall

तेthose

विदिताःknown

तवto/for you; of you

चातुर्विद्येin the fourfold learning (four vidyās)

चand

येwhich (those that)

प्रोक्ताःdeclared, taught

चand

चातुर्होत्रेin the fourfold priesthood (four hotṛs)

चand

भारतO Bhārata

Speaker

वैशम्पायन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Vaiśampāyana

Bhārata

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

War Context

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 dharma as comprehensive: it spans social-ethical duties (varṇa and āśrama), intellectual authority (the fourfold sacred learning), and ritual responsibility (the four priests). It implies that a well-instructed person should integrate conduct, knowledge, and sacrificial duty.

What is happening in the narrative?

Vaiśampāyana addresses “Bhārata,” stating that the listener is already familiar with the established teachings on varṇa-āśrama duties, the doctrines taught in the four vidyās, and the prescribed functions of the four Vedic priests—setting a learned baseline before proceeding to further instruction.