Shloka 7
विप्रक्षत्रियवैश्यानां शुश्रूषा शूद्रकर्म तत् गृहस्थधर्मो नागेन्द्र सर्वभूतहितैषिता
viprakṣatriyavaiśyānāṁ śuśrūṣā śūdrakarma tat | gṛhasthadharmo nāgendra sarvabhūtahitaiṣitā ||
ພີສະມະ ກ່າວວ່າ: «ໂອ ຈອມເຈົ້າແຫ່ງນາກ, ໜ້າທີ່ທີ່ກຳນົດໃຫ້ຊູດຣະ ແມ່ນການຮັບໃຊ້ດ້ວຍຄວາມເອົາໃຈໃສ່ແກ່ ພຣາຫມັນ, ກະສັດຕຣິຍະ, ແລະ ໄວຊະຍະ. ແລະສຳລັບຄົນຄອບຄົວ, ແກ່ນແທ້ຂອງທຳຄື ຄວາມປາຖະໜາຈະເຮັດປະໂຫຍດແກ່ສັດມີຊີວິດທັງປວງ».
भीष्म उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse defines role-based duties: a Śūdra’s duty is service to the three higher varṇas, while a householder’s dharma is universal benevolence—actively wishing and working for the welfare of all beings.
In the Śānti Parva’s instruction on dharma, Bhīṣma continues advising his listener (addressed as “Nāgendra,” i.e., serpent-lord) by summarizing key obligations tied to social order (varṇa) and life-stage (āśrama), emphasizing compassion as central to the householder’s path.