Shloka 1
Vānaprastha-dharma and Tapas: Śiva–Umā Saṃvāda
Forest-Stage Discipline and Austerity
(दाक्षिणात्य अधिक पाठके २८६ श्लोक मिलाकर कुल ६७३ श्लोक हैं) # जी श्यु 8 पजञ्चविशर्त्याधिकशततमो< ध्याय: श्राद्धके विषयमें देवदूत और पितरोंका
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca—janma mānuṣyakaṁ prāpya karmakṣetraṁ sudurlabham | śreyorthinā daridreṇa kiṁ kartavyaṁ pitāmaha ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai Datuk, setelah memperoleh kelahiran sebagai manusia—medan amal yang amat sukar diperoleh—apakah yang harus dilakukan oleh seorang miskin yang mencari kebaikan tertinggi?”
युधिछिर उवाच
Educational Q&A
Human life is presented as a rare opportunity—an arena for meaningful action. The verse frames an ethical inquiry: even without wealth, one can and must pursue śreyas (the highest good) through right conduct and dharmic choices.
At the start of this adhyāya, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Bhīṣma as ‘Grandfather’ and asks for guidance: given the rarity of human birth and the constraints of poverty, what practical course should a person follow to secure true welfare.