Shloka 2

नारद–असित (देवल) संवादः — भूतप्रभवाप्यय, इन्द्रिय-गुण-विवेक, क्षेत्रज्ञ-तत्त्व

Devanagari script

गार्हस्थ्यस्य च धर्मस्य योगधर्मस्य चोभयो: । अदूरसम्प्रस्थितयो: किंस्विच्छेय: पितामह,दादाजी! गार्हस्थ्यधर्म और योगधर्म दोनों एक दूसरेसे दूर नहीं हैं, तथापि उन दोनोंमेंसे कौन श्रेष्ठ है? यह बतानेकी कृपा करें

Transliteration

gārhasthyasya ca dharmasya yogadharmasya cobhayoḥ | adūrasamprasthitayoḥ kiṃsvid śreyaḥ pitāmaha ||

Translation

ಹುಮತ್ಸೇನನು ಹೇಳಿದನು— ಪಿತಾಮಹಾ! ಗೃಹಸ್ಥಧರ್ಮವೂ ಯೋಗಧರ್ಮವೂ ಗುರಿ ಮತ್ತು ಭಾವದಲ್ಲಿ ಪರಸ್ಪರ ದೂರವಲ್ಲ; ಆದರೂ ಈ ಎರಡು ಸಮೀಪ ಮಾರ್ಗಗಳಲ್ಲಿ ನಿಜವಾದ ಶ್ರೇಯಸ್ಸು ಯಾವುದು? ದಯವಿಟ್ಟು ತಿಳಿಸಿ।

Word by Word

गार्हस्थ्यस्यof householdership (householder stage)

चand

धर्मस्यof dharma

योगधर्मस्यof the dharma of yoga

चand

उभयोःof both

अदूरnot far (close)

सम्प्रस्थितयोःof the two that have set forth / are proceeding

किम्what

स्वित्indeed? / I wonder

श्रेयःthe better (good)

पितामहO grandsire

Speaker

हुमत्सेन उवाच

Characters & Entities

Humatsena

Pitāmaha (Grandfather/elder interlocutor)

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 a classic Mahābhārata ethical inquiry: when two dharmic paths—responsible household life and yogic discipline—both aim at the good, how should one discern śreyas (the highest good). It invites a nuanced hierarchy based on inner aim, conduct, and realization rather than mere external form.

What is happening in the narrative?

Humatsena respectfully asks an elder (addressed as pitāmaha) to adjudicate between two closely related life-paths: gārhasthya-dharma (social and familial duty) and yoga-dharma (spiritual discipline/renunciation). The question sets up a didactic response typical of Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma.