Shloka 13

Adhyātma-krama: Indriya–Manas–Buddhi–Ātman Hierarchy and Citta-Prasāda (आध्यात्मक्रमः)

Devanagari script

क्षत्रिय आलम्भ- यज्ञ करनेवाले होते हैं, वैश्य हविष्यप्रधान यज्ञ करनेवाले माने गये हैं, शूद्र सेवारूप यज्ञ करनेवाले और ब्राह्मण जपयज्ञ करनेवाले होते हैं ।।

Transliteration

kṣatriyā ālambha-yajña-kāriṇaḥ bhavanti, vaiśyā haviṣya-pradhāna-yajña-kāriṇaḥ manyante; śūdrāḥ sevā-rūpa-yajña-kāriṇaḥ, brāhmaṇāḥ japa-yajña-kāriṇaḥ bhavanti. pariniṣṭhita-kāryo hi svādhyāyena dvijo bhavet. kuryād anyan na vā kuryān, maitraḥ brāhmaṇa ucyate.

Translation

ວະຍາສະກ່າວວ່າ: ກະສັດຕະຣິຍະແມ່ນຜູ້ທີ່ຍັນຍະຂອງເຂົາປາກົດໃນການກະທຳອັນກ້າຫານ ແລະການຕັດສິນໃຈອັນແນ່ວແນ່; ໄວຊະຍະຖືກນັບວ່າເປັນຜູ້ປະກອບຍັນຍະທີ່ເນັ້ນການຖວາຍຮາວິສ ແລະສິ່ງຂອງ. ຊູດຣະປະກອບຍັນຍະໃນຮູບແບບຂອງການຮັບໃຊ້; ແລະພຣາຫມະນະປະກອບຍັນຍະໂດຍການສວດທ່ອງ ແລະວິໄນພາຍໃນ (japa). ຜູ້ເກີດສອງຄັ້ງຈະເປັນຜູ້ສຳເລັດພາລະກິດຂອງຕົນໄດ້ໂດຍການສຶກສາເວດດ້ວຍຕົນເອງ (svādhyāya) ເທົ່ານັ້ນ. ຈະເຮັດວຽກອື່ນຫຼືບໍ່ເຮັດກໍຕາມ, ເຂົາຖືກເອີ້ນວ່າ ‘ພຣາຫມະນະ’ ເນື່ອງຈາກດຳລົງຢູ່ໃນມິດຕະພາບ ແລະຄວາມເມດຕາຕໍ່ສັດມີຊີວິດທັງປວງ.

Word by Word

• परिनिष्ठितकार्यः: one whose duties are fully accomplished
• परिनिष्ठितकार्यः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: परिनिष्ठितकार्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• हि: indeed/for
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: हि

• स्वाध्यायेन: by self-study (of the Veda)
• स्वाध्यायेन: Karana
• Type: Noun
• Root: स्वाध्याय (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Instrumental, Singular

• द्विजः: the twice-born (Brahmin)
• द्विजः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: द्विज (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• भवेत्: would become / becomes (should be)
• Type: Verb
• Root: भू (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• कुर्यात्: may do / should do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• अन्यत्: something else
• अन्यत्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अन्य (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Neuter, Accusative, Singular

• न: not
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: न

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• कुर्यात्: may do / should do
• Type: Verb
• Root: कृ (धातु)
• Form: Optative (Vidhi-lin), 3rd, Singular, Parasmaipada

• मैत्रः: friendly / benevolent
• मैत्रः: Karta
• Type: Adjective
• Root: मैत्र (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• ब्राह्मणः: a Brahmin
• ब्राह्मणः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: ब्राह्मण (प्रातिपदिक)
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

• उच्यते: is called / is said
• Type: Verb
• Root: वच् (धातु)
• Form: Present (Lat), 3rd, Singular, Atmanepada (passive sense)

Speaker

व्यास उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Vyāsa
• Kṣatriya
• Vaiśya
• Śūdra
• Brāhmaṇa
• Veda (svādhyāya)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse reframes ‘sacrifice’ (yajña) as varṇa-appropriate discipline: action and protection for Kṣatriyas, offering-based ritual and livelihood for Vaiśyas, service for Śūdras, and mantra-recitation with Vedic self-study for Brāhmaṇas. It further defines a true Brāhmaṇa not merely by activity but by completion through svādhyāya and by universal friendliness (maitrī) toward all beings.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma after the war, Vyāsa speaks in a didactic mode, classifying the ‘yajña’ appropriate to each social duty and emphasizing that for a Brāhmaṇa, Vedic self-study and benevolence are sufficient markers of fulfilled duty, regardless of additional occupations.