Shloka 1
अव्यक्त-मानस-सृष्टिवादः
Doctrine of Creation from the Unmanifest ‘Mānasa’
ऑपनआक्रात बछ। आर: (मोक्षधर्मपर्व) चतुः:सप्तत्यधिकशततमोअ ध्याय: शोकाकुल चित्तकी शान्तिके लिये राजा सेनजित् और ब्राह्मणके संवादका वर्णन युधिछ्िर उवाच धर्मा: पितामहेनोक्ता राजधर्माश्रिता: शुभा: | धर्ममाश्रमिणां श्रेष्ठ वक्तुमहसि पार्थिव,राजा युधिष्ठटिरने कहा--पितामह! यहाँ तक आपने राजधर्मसम्बन्धी श्रेष्ठ धर्मोका उपदेश दिया। पृथ्वीनाथ! अब आप आश्रमियोंके उत्तम धर्मका वर्णन कीजिये
Yudhiṣṭhira uvāca—dharmāḥ pitāmahenoktā rājadharmāśritāḥ śubhāḥ | dharmam āśramiṇāṃ śreṣṭha vaktum arhasi pārthiva ||
Yudhiṣṭhira berkata: “Wahai Datuk, engkau telah mengajarkan prinsip-prinsip yang mulia lagi membawa berkat, berasaskan kewajipan raja-raja. Kini, wahai tuan bumi, jelaskanlah dharma yang tertinggi bagi mereka yang hidup dalam āśrama (tahap-tahap kehidupan yang tersusun).”
युधिछ्िर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse marks a shift in ethical inquiry: after hearing rājadharma (the responsibilities and moral constraints of rulership), Yudhiṣṭhira requests the ‘highest dharma’ for āśramins—those living according to the structured disciplines of life (such as brahmacarya, gṛhastha, vānaprastha, and saṃnyāsa). It frames dharma as context-sensitive: duties differ by role and stage, yet aim toward the highest good.
In the Śānti Parva’s instructional dialogue, Yudhiṣṭhira addresses Bhīṣma as ‘Grandfather’ and acknowledges his prior exposition on kingly duties. He then asks Bhīṣma to proceed to the next topic: the superior dharma of the āśramas, setting up the ensuing discussion associated with Mokṣadharma themes.