Shloka 13

Kṣātra-dharma as the Public Foundation of Dharma (क्षात्रधर्म-प्रशंसा)

Devanagari script

अल्पान्तरगतस्यापि दशधर्मगतस्य वा । आश्रमा विहिता: सर्वे वर्जयित्वा निराशिषम्‌

Transliteration

alpāntaragatasyāpi daśadharmagatasya vā | āśramā vihitāḥ sarve varjayitvā nirāśiṣam, pṛthvīnātha! |

Translation

Bhishma berkata: Wahai tuan bumi, sekalipun bagi seorang Śūdra yang hanya tinggal sedikit jurang perbezaan (dalam kesucian dan tingkah laku) berbanding golongan dua kali lahir, atau yang tekun mengamalkan sepuluh dharma, semua āśrama adalah ditetapkan baginya—kecuali keadaan “nirāśiṣa”, yakni saṃnyāsa (renunsiasi).

Word by Word

• अल्प: small, little
• अल्प: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: अल्प
• Form: neuter, genitive, singular

• अन्तर: difference, interval
• अन्तर: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: अन्तर
• Form: neuter, genitive, singular

• गतस्य: having gone/attained; being in
• गतस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• अपि: even, also
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: अपि

• दश: ten
• Type: Adjective
• Root: दश
• Form: indeclinable (numeral), uninflected, uninflected

• धर्म: dharma; duty/law
• धर्म: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: धर्म
• Form: masculine, genitive, singular

• गतस्य: having entered/abiding in
• गतस्य: Adhikarana
• Type: Adjective
• Root: गम्
• Form: masculine/neuter, genitive, singular

• वा: or
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वा

• आश्रमाḥ: stages of life (āśramas)
• आश्रमाḥ: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• विहिताḥ: prescribed, enjoined
• Type: Adjective
• Root: वि + धा
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• सर्वे: all
• Type: Adjective
• Root: सर्व
• Form: masculine, nominative, plural

• वर्जयित्वा: having excluded; excepting
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: वृज्/वर्ज् (वर्जयति)
• Form: क्त्वा (absolutive)

• निराशिषम्: one without desires/expectations (i.e., the renunciant)
• निराशिषम्: Karma
• Type: Adjective
• Root: निर् + आशिष्
• Form: masculine, accusative, singular

• पृथ्वी: earth
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथ्वी
• Form: feminine, genitive, singular

• नाथ: lord; protector
• Type: Noun
• Root: नाथ
• Form: masculine, vocative, singular

Speaker

भीष्म उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• Pṛthvīnātha (the king, i.e., Yudhiṣṭhira)
• Śūdra
• Āśramas
• Daśa-dharma
• Nirāśiṣa (renunciant/saṃnyāsa ideal)

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma teaches that ethical refinement and disciplined practice of dharma can qualify a Śūdra for recognized life-stages (āśramas), while still excluding the formal renunciant state (nirāśiṣa/saṃnyāsa) in this framework.

What is happening in the narrative?

In Śānti Parva, Bhīṣma instructs the king (Yudhiṣṭhira) on dharma and social-religious order. Here he addresses which āśramas are considered permissible for a Śūdra who has demonstrated high moral conduct and commitment to the ten dharmas.