Shloka 182

Śuka’s Guṇa-Transcendence and Vyāsa’s Consolation (शुकगति-वर्णनम्)

Devanagari script

पृथक्त्वादाश्रमाणां च वर्णन्यत्वे तथैव च । परस्परपृथक्त्वाच्च कथं ते वर्णसंकर:

Transliteration

pṛthaktvād āśramāṇāṁ ca varṇānyatve tathaiva ca | paraspara-pṛthaktvāc ca kathaṁ te varṇa-saṅkaraḥ ||

Translation

ଆଶ୍ରମମାନେ ପରସ୍ପର ଭିନ୍ନ, ଏବଂ ଚାରି ବର୍ଣ୍ଣ ମଧ୍ୟ ଭିନ୍ନ; ତାଙ୍କ ମଧ୍ୟରେ ପରସ୍ପର ସ୍ପଷ୍ଟ ପୃଥକ୍ତା ଥିବାବେଳେ—ଏହି ପୃଥକ୍ତାକୁ ଜାଣୁଥିବା ତୁମ ପାଇଁ ‘ବର୍ଣ୍ଣସଙ୍କର’ କିପରି ହେବ? ସୀମା ରକ୍ଷିତ ଥିଲେ, ସାମାଜିକ-ନୈତିକ କ୍ରମର ଗୋଲମାଳର ଅଭିଯୋଗ କେଉଁ ଆଧାରରେ ହେବ?

Word by Word

• पृथक्त्वात्: from separateness
• पृथक्त्वात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथक्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• आश्रमाणाम्: of the āśramas (stages of life)
• आश्रमाणाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: आश्रम
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• वर्णानाम्: of the varṇas (social classes)
• वर्णानाम्: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्ण
• Form: Masculine, Genitive, Plural

• पृथक्त्वे: in (their) separateness
• पृथक्त्वे: Adhikarana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथक्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Locative, Singular

• तथा: likewise/so
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: तथा

• एव: indeed/just
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: एव

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• परस्पर: mutually/with one another
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: परस्पर

• पृथक्त्वात्: from separateness
• पृथक्त्वात्: Apadana
• Type: Noun
• Root: पृथक्त्व
• Form: Neuter, Ablative, Singular

• च: and
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: च

• कथम्: how?
• Type: Indeclinable
• Root: कथम्

• ते: of you/your
• Type: Pronoun
• Root: त्वद्
• Form: Genitive, Singular

• वर्णसंकरः: mixing/confusion of varṇas
• वर्णसंकरः: Karta
• Type: Noun
• Root: वर्णसंकर
• Form: Masculine, Nominative, Singular

Speaker

भीष्य उवाच

Characters & Entities

• Bhīṣma
• āśrama
• varṇa

Educational Q&A

What is the core teaching?

Bhīṣma argues that when āśramas and varṇas are clearly distinguished and their boundaries are understood, the claim of inevitable varṇa-saṅkara (social/ethical confusion through intermixture) lacks basis; the point is to ground social-ethical anxieties in careful reasoning rather than assumption.

What is happening in the narrative?

In the Śānti Parva’s dharma-discourse, Bhīṣma addresses a concern about varṇa-saṅkara and challenges it by pointing to the conceptual and practical separations between āśramas and varṇas, pressing the interlocutor to justify how ‘mixing’ could occur if distinctions are maintained.