Shloka 12

Dharma-vyādha’s Analysis of Moral Decline and the Mahābhūta–Guṇa Schema (धर्मव्याधोपदेशः)

Devanagari script

युधिछिर उवाच चातुर्वर्ण्यस्य सर्वस्य वर्तमाना: प्रतिग्रहे । केन विप्रा विशेषेण तारयन्ति तरन्ति च,युधिष्ठिरने पूछा--महामुने! जो ब्राह्मण चारों वर्णोमेंसे सभीके दान ग्रहण करते हैं, वे किस विशेष धर्मका पालन करनेसे दूसरोंको तारते और स्वयं भी तरते हैं

Transliteration

yudhiṣṭhira uvāca cāturvarṇyasya sarvasya vartamānāḥ pratigrahe | kena viprā viśeṣeṇa tārayanti taranti ca ||

Translation

യുധിഷ്ഠിരൻ പറഞ്ഞു—മഹാമുനേ! നാലു വർണങ്ങളിലുമുള്ള എല്ലാവരിൽ നിന്നുമുള്ള ദാനം സ്വീകരിക്കുന്ന ബ്രാഹ്മണർ, ഏത് പ്രത്യേക ധർമ്മമോ ശാസനമോ പാലിച്ചാണ് മറ്റുള്ളവരെ കരകയറ്റുകയും തങ്ങളുമെല്ലാം കടന്നുപോകുകയും ചെയ്യുന്നത്?

Word by Word

युधिष्ठिरःYudhiṣṭhira

उवाचsaid

चातुर्वर्ण्यस्यof the fourfold social order (four varṇas)

सर्वस्यof all

वर्तमानाःbeing engaged / existing (as they are)

प्रतिग्रहेin accepting gifts

केनby what? / by which (means, dharma)

विप्राःbrāhmaṇas

विशेषेणespecially / in a special way

तारयन्तिcause (others) to cross / deliver

तरन्तिcross (themselves)

चand

Speaker

युधिछिर उवाच

Characters & Entities

Yudhiṣṭhira

viprāḥ (brāhmaṇas)

cāturvarṇya (the four varṇas)

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Geographic Context

Cross References

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse frames an ethical inquiry: if a brāhmaṇa lives by accepting gifts from all sections of society, what distinctive dharma ensures that this practice remains purifying—so that the brāhmaṇa benefits spiritually and also becomes a means of uplift for the donor and the wider community.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Vana Parva dialogue setting, Yudhiṣṭhira questions a great sage about the proper principle behind brāhmaṇas receiving gifts. He seeks clarification on the special discipline that makes such acceptance legitimate and spiritually efficacious rather than morally compromising.