Shloka 12
Vasiṣṭha–Karāla-Janaka Saṃvāda: Aśuddha-Sevana, Guṇa-Dr̥ṣṭi, and Sāṃkhya–Yoga Ekārthatā
Mahābhārata 12.293
अजिद्दौरशकक्रोधै्हव्यकव्यप्रयोक्तृभि: । शूद्रेर्निर्मार्जनं कार्यमेवं धर्मो न नश्यति
ajiddaurśakakrodhaiḥ havyakavyaprayoktṛbhiḥ | śūdrer nirmārjanaṃ kāryam evaṃ dharmo na naśyati ||
Parāśara berkata: “Hendaklah para brāhmaṇa, setelah menaklukkan kelicikan, tipu daya, dan kemarahan, menggunakan persembahan untuk para dewa dan leluhur (havya dan kavya) dalam upacara yang semestinya. Hendaklah para Śūdra menjalankan kerja pembersihan—menyapu dan memelihara kesucian tanah korban serta kediaman golongan dua kali lahir. Apabila setiap orang melaksanakan tugas sesuai kedudukannya demikian, dharma tidak merosot.”
पराशर उवाच
Educational Q&A
The verse teaches that dharma is preserved when people restrain inner vices (crookedness, deceit, anger) and perform their socially assigned duties—especially proper use of ritual offerings (havya/kavya) and maintenance of purity through cleaning—so that religious and communal life functions without decline.
In Śānti Parva’s instruction on conduct and social duties, Parāśara is laying out a normative model of varṇa-based responsibilities: Brahmins should be morally disciplined and correctly perform/guide offerings, while Śūdras support ritual and household order through cleansing work; this mutual functioning is presented as preventing the decay of dharma.