Shloka 5

Adhyāya 189: Japa—Inquiry into the Jāpaka, Method

Vidhi), and Fruit (Phala

Devanagari script

ब्राह्मणानां सितो वर्ण: क्षत्रियाणां तु लोहित: । वैश्यानां पीतको वर्ण: शूद्राणामसितस्तथा,ब्राह्मणोंका रंग श्वैत, क्षत्रियोंका लाल, वैश्योंका पीला तथा शूद्रोंका काला बनाया

Transliteration

bharadvāja uvāca | brāhmaṇānāṁ sito varṇaḥ kṣatriyāṇāṁ tu lohitaḥ | vaiśyānāṁ pītako varṇaḥ śūdrāṇām asitas tathā ||

Translation

Bharadvāja berkata: “Brāhmaṇa dikatakan berwarna putih; Kṣatriya merah; Vaiśya kuning; dan Śūdra hitam.”

Word by Word

ब्राह्मणानाम्of the Brahmins

सितःwhite

वर्णःcolor; complexion

क्षत्रियाणाम्of the Kshatriyas

तुbut; and (contrastive)

लोहितःred

वैश्यानाम्of the Vaishyas

पीतकःyellow

वर्णःcolor; complexion

शूद्राणाम्of the Shudras

असितःblack; dark

तथाthus; likewise

Speaker

भरद्वाज उवाच

Characters & Entities

Bharadvāja

Brāhmaṇa

Kṣatriya

Vaiśya

Śūdra

Character Dynamics

Dharma Sankata (Moral Dilemma)

Verse Rasa (Emotional Essence)

Philosophical Teaching

Political Layer

Meter (Chandas)

Sandhi Notes

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

The verse presents a traditional dharma-style typology of the four varṇas using symbolic colors, reflecting an idealized social classification employed in ethical and normative discussions.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva’s instructional setting, the sage Bharadvāja is speaking and articulates a conventional description of the four social orders; the verse is expository rather than event-driven.