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

युधिष्ठिर म्हणाला—महामुने! जे ब्राह्मण चारही वर्णांकडून दान स्वीकारतात, ते कोणत्या विशेष धर्म-आचरणाने इतरांना तारतात आणि स्वतःही तरतात?

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

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.