Shloka 32

Āśrama-dharma: Duties of the Four Life-Stages (आश्रमधर्मः)

Devanagari script

अवश्यं भरणीयो हि वर्णानां शूद्र उच्यते । छत्र॑ वेष्टनमौशीरमुपानद्‌ व्यजनानि च

Transliteration

avaśyaṃ bharaṇīyo hi varṇānāṃ śūdra ucyate | chatra-veṣṭanam auśīram upānad vyajanāni ca

Translation

भीष्म म्हणाले—वर्णांमध्ये शूद्र असा सांगितला आहे की ज्याला अनिवार्यपणे भरण-पोषण व सेवा-कार्यांत नियोजित केले जाते. या संदर्भात छत्र, वेष्टन (डोक्याचे वस्त्र), औशीर (खस), उपानह (पादत्राण) आणि व्यजन (पंखे) यांचाही उल्लेख आहे.

Word by Word

अवश्यम्necessarily, certainly

भरणीयःto be supported/maintained

हिindeed, for

वर्णानाम्of the classes (varṇas)

शूद्रःthe Śūdra

उच्यतेis said/called

छत्रम्umbrella

वेष्टनम्wrap, covering

औशीरम्made of uśīra (vetiver)

उपानत्shoe, sandal

व्यजनानिfans (for fanning)

चand

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bhīṣma

Śūdra

varṇa

chatra (umbrella)

veṣṭana (head-wrap)

auśīra (vetiver)

upānad (footwear)

vyajana (fan)

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 the Śūdra’s dharma in terms of necessary service/support within the varṇa system, and it lists practical items associated with such service and daily life, emphasizing social function and livelihood.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma is instructing Yudhiṣṭhira on dharma and social order; here he continues a discussion of varṇa-based duties by characterizing the Śūdra’s role and mentioning related objects of use.